Time Framed

When I first saw the trailer for Time Framed on Xian Mikol’s Tumblr, I was absolutely hooked. With the Vampire Diaries in my queue on Hulu, I instantly recognized the dashing Ian Somerhalder as the leading man, and had to investigate further into just what this series of short films was all about.

SinFactory Media has joined forces with Somerhalder as Agent Black on a mission to save clean energy. But what is a handsome agent without a beautiful leading lady?

Xian as a sultry singer

 Xian Mikol stars alongside Somerhalder in Time Framed, and because Mikol is one of my favorite models, I reached out to her to see if she’d be willing to give me the inside news on her experience in the film.  Having spoken with her a bit before, she was more than willing to share!

Mikol describes her character in Time Framed as a “sultry singer with a lot of sass and confidence and a strong woman.” Mikol, a strong woman herself, embodies her glamorous character both on and off screen, but admits that there were a few challenges. “I wanted to do well and make sure everyone was happy with my performance. Ian encouraged me to have fun with my character.” Mikol, under the direction of Sinisha Nisevic was given a degree of freedom when channeling her character. “I had a while to work on finding out who she was, so I think I got inside her head and became her.” She was in great hands with Nisevic who she had modeled for previously in still shoot for IceLink watches. “He is so professional and knows exactly what he's doing and what he wants. He is a MASTER with lighting, he always knows how to make everything look so beautiful.”

 Thanks to her modeling career, Mikol is no stranger to the intense belaboring process that’s required. Her expertise in that field kept her focused on set and made for an easy transition into the ultra elegant role, “I loved the costumes and the hair and makeup was stunning. I felt almost at ease with the hustle and bustle of the glamour set.”

Interesting fact: The set wasn’t constructed for the movie, it was actually someone’s house.

 “We had a specific time we had to be packed up and out of there at night so the owner could come home and sleep in his own bed!”, Mikol says.

Although scheduling was tight, Xian with her easy-going personality managed to squeeze in some fun in-between takes. “Every hour on set was a funny moment! Ian and I had a lot of fun preparing our fight scenes, we often broke character and our dorky personalities came out. He was a breeze to work with, definitely not a Hollywood Diva.”

Sinisha Nisevic is truly a master in his craft, and I as a social media junkie stand in awe at the blending of these multiple platforms with such an eco-friendly  purpose, and creating excitement around real environmental change. Brace yourself- saving the world has never looked so good.

Get ready to see action, glamour, and a race around the world in a fight for clean energy as never before in this thrilling, 6 short film series, Time Framed.

Xian Mikol is definitely on the rise

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Instagram: @Xizzlebizzle

Take a look at the brilliance that is SinFactory Media
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And if you aren't following him already (why aren't you following him already...), you should be!
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Code Lyoko Style Evoution

A lot has happened in the animation world since the early beginnings of Code Lyoko in 2003. It only seemed logical that the next step was to bring these characters to life. In doing so, the animatic challenges get pushed aside and much more daunting challenges take their place. Sure, it might be one thing to take a cartoon and make it 2D, but how to you take 2D and make it...a person?

Starting with Yumi, she's transitioned from a simple black sweater as seen in previous Code Lyoko seasons, to a threatening, minimalistic grunge leather jacket. This is a perfect example of making the traditional Yumi we all know in love, a modern 2013 girl. A leather jacket is such an obvious choice for her personality. Her hairstyle also easily transitions from cartoon form, into a real life situation.
Click the button to follow Melanie on Twitter Follow @MelanieTranQuan

The real talent of the makeup and costume department shows when dealing with a character that's a little more...Odd.

 He has purple hair, and adorns himself in lavender from head to toe, because of this, Odd makes for a difficult character to phase over into the real world. There are many things to keep in the balance of retaining a character's look, while simultaneously adapting them to be a believable character in live action. Does he dress from head to toe in purple? Does he keep the purple splash in his hair? Just how odd is Odd enough?

Purple is obviously the color scheme for him, but CLE has thrown what I would call, a playful edge at him. I can see the graphic-tee being a major staple in his wardrobe for future episodes to come, with many more sweaters and hoodies to complete his look. What i'd really love to see him rock next would be some Beats by Dr. Dre. 

Now tell me you could't see Odd rocking this around his neck!

Next up is Aelita who pretty much looks like she's four. When I see the puffy blouse and puffy skirt combined I have to cringe, just a bit. There's a way to retain her character's youthfulness without looking a little tacky. But true to form, they took her look straight from the cartoon.

It's the poof, I can't do it.

What I would love to see Aelita in something like this, the mint color of this hoodie equals the brightness of her pink hues and they compliment each other so nicely!

Trade in the poofy clown skirt for a sleek sequined one. It's bright, fun and youthful!

And if they must keep leggings of some kind, then throw in the bright pink ones underneath and you  have a nice,  youthful ensemble.

The simplest character besides Yumi has to be Ulrich. He pretty much has a timeless look to him, simple neutral patterns allow for extreme versatility through the upcoming episodes of CLE. It's a calm, cool and collected look that goes perfectly with the notoriously level headed Ulrich.

Follow actor Quentin Merabet on Twitter to see what he's up to. Follow @QuentinMerabet

If you want to talk about a successful transition from cartoon to live action, look no further than nerdy little Jeremy Belpois. (If you're a true CL fan I know your jaw dropped just like mine did when you saw him). I think Jeremy just may have bested the entire gang when it comes to fashion and style!

The combination of choices that equal this look really came together perfectly. The best choice was going from circular thin frames to thick black frames. Such a modern choice that quite literally defines this generation. Also, the endless combinations of plaid will always produce a modern urban-nerd look that is just spot on. The cast is always on their twitter so be sure to send them tweets! Follow @MarinLafitte  

And for the latest addition to the cast....Samantha Knight!

Just kidding..dreams..dreams...

In all seriousness, i'll be watching to see just where they take these iconic characters, and how their wardrobe and fashion will evolve. One thing is for certain, there was no return to the past for this fashion, Code Lyoko Evolution is looking straight ahead.

The Vampire Diaries Hair Tutorial

I really enjoy TVD, and the style of the characters, so I decided to make a Caroline Forbes hair tutorial.

I love how her hair is so natural, yet perfected.

Sweet Nothing: A great title

When I first heard “Sweet Nothing” with Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch I was mad. I was really, really mad.

Where had my sweet ethereal goddess gone? Where were her echoing trance inducing vocals?

To me this sounded like a sellout. And it was a shame.

“She’s branching out” they say.

“She’s trying new things” they say.

Both of which, are fine and well.

Compare “Sweet Nothing” to “Only For A Night” or “Remain Nameless” and you’ll see how there’s a lot lost in translation between the genre switch and it’s not an easy one, nor was it flawless, and it didn’t bring anything to the table.

Is the song good? Yeah, if you take it for face value. Maybe if the Flo-Queen came up with an alter ego Sasha Fierce that sang over dubstep tracks I could stomach this tune a little better.

But this powerhouse singer with the voice of an angel, well…the collab just doesn’t do anything for her.
But, more you listen to it, the more it grows on you.

It’s good, just…good. A word I’d never normally associate with Florence Welch, it’s a step down from her normal mark of extraordinary.

My Brother's Keeper

Oh my.
Oh my my my.

It seems the writers better make Caroline wrong on the whole "sired" issue.
In the latest episode of TVD Delena fans were greatly rewarded. As a Delena fan myself, I must say, the episode was everything I wanted it to be, and I re-watched the last 7 minutes over five times (no such thing as too much Delena sex).  The chemistry between Ian and Nina is flat out magical. I almost shed a tear.

If anything, this episode confirmed the lastest addition to my Christmas list-

My very own sun ring:

Mine will have an "L"

I can't pretend that I won't feel super cool walking around with this on.

Maybe after I get it i'll be able to stop blogging in the dark and go outside for a change.

For really cool behind the scenes cast photos.....

Follow @ninadobrev   &  Follow @iansomerhalder

St. Louis Fashion Week 2012

To be completely honest, fashion is something that confuses me profoundly. I can't keep up with it to save my life, and I can't predict what's coming next.

That being said, I'm a proud trend follower, and there's nothing I love more than seeing what the latest get up is on Topshop, Nastygal and Forever21.

This week I was thrown into the fashion world when I was invited to St. Louis Fashion Week as press to cover fashion designer, Elise Lammert's story, and I had an absolute blast! She participated in an event called Project:Design! sponsored by ALIVE Magazine and won "People's Choice". It was really exciting, and chaotic. Scroll down for behind the scenes footage!


Being able to run around back stage and in between the black velvet ropes was such a privilege. The show itself was flawlessly put together with killer music and lighting. Just stunning. It was a full house, high heels and fashion buns were at every turn, along with men in dashing blazers and glasses. It had me wishing events like this happened every day. But I guess that would ruin the magic, right?

Behind the scenes of Project:Design!

Dubstep looks good in RED.

Go ahead, pay the $1.29 for Taylor Swift’s latest single “I Knew You Were Trouble."

She's created a new kind of sound, almost like she borrowed 1/3 of the dubstep genre, put the other 2/3's back, and meshed it with her usual light hearted sound we've all grown so accustomed to. The outcome is a grainy "tough-girl" feel during the chorus. Whatever her method, it's a sound that is infinitely better than her last single. But anything sounds better in juxtaposition with that tune.

I’m captivated knowing that both songs have come from the same album, and my interest is peaked, wondering what the rest of it will sound like. This song is another anthem, full of rebellion that will undoubtedly speak to the hearts of  many girls who let themselves fall into the same trap. I'm really ready to see Taylor Swift go bad-ass, maybe this is a hint of what's to come? 

I knew she could do better than her last single, and she has. Now I feel better about pre-ordering the album.