Category: US

My Favorite Moments LIVE on SOS Island

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For the month of October, I was stranded on a deserted island in Puerto Rico hosting the survivalist game show series Samsung’s SOS Island: Survival of the Smartest. It is one of my favorite jobs to date.

I put our contestants through the wringer, as well as myself. Not only did we have to battle the elements – 105 heat with 70% humidity and ravenous daytime mosquitoes- but we were also putting together a live show in the midst of an already tight shooting schedule… in the middle of nowhere! Luxuries like a teleprompter or multiple takes were left on the mainland.

We shot a live stream every other day during our intense shooting schedule, usually with no rehearsal. I had no teleprompter and sometimes a barely functioning IFB (ear piece to hear the director). It was 45 minutes of pure adrenaline… and a lot of fun. Everyone involved in this project is supremely talented; they turned challenges into opportunities to shine. It was awesome to be around.

For anyone who has had a challenge and has overcome it, you can understand why I am so proud of this show.

Here are my favorite live episodes from Samsung’s SOS Island.

This “Sur-Vine-Al” live stream is my favorite episode by far.
At this time we were all a family and it really comes across on screen. I’ve literally watched it all the way through multiple times. Yes, that means I’ve spent hours of my life reliving something I’ve already done. And dammit, it’s worth it!

 

 

I like to call this one “Andrea’s Island Party.”
At the time, the contestants had been on the island for three days and were really starting to feel the realities of being on a deserted island. They were given three pieces of fruit- a banana, pineapple, and mango- and that’s it! So it was great to see their excitement amongst all the food. And I must say, Graham’s dish was by far the winner! Wow, he knows how to cook.
7:45 –> Karen’s hilarious video
22:00 –> We start the cooking!

 

 

Beach Party!
Like the above episode, this live stream had a great concept around it. We were well into our second week on the island and everyone was missing home, so we had our contestants use their imagination and take random stuff on the beach and turn it into their creature comforts.
22:00 –> Mert’s hilarious video on how he ordered pizza to the island!!
29:00 –> Great laughs with the survivalists.
32:00 –> The challenge starts. Make sure to check out Graham and Brittany’s “comforts,” they make me laugh to this day.

 

Home!
This was our final episode and they were in a great mood! But really, I like this episode for selfish reasons:
1:30 –> The survivalists gave me a round of applause that made my heart soar.
34:00 –> We all get a beer! I hadn’t had a sip of alcohol in a few weeks and let me tell you, Medalla hits the spot.

Ultra Miami 2013 Official Aftermovie

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“A perfect 17-minute after-movie masterpiece,” is what the Miami New Times called the Ultra Miami 2013 Aftermovie. And I can’t agree more, although we can agree to disagree on the spelling of aftermovie. I have watched it several times and experienced the symptoms of many of my peers: goosebumps, elation, excitement, awe, and, yes, even sadness.

Ultra is arguably the most important music festival in the EDM world. It is held during Miami Music Week and the Winter Music Conference, when the annual IDMA Awards (International Dance Music Awards) are given out. Translation: it’s like the Grammy’s of the DJ world. It’s held in March, unofficially kicking off the summer music festival season. It is pretty much the only time during the calendar year when all the DJ’s are in the same place at the same time- most of these guys go in and out of countries within hours. And with all those eyeballs, a DJ’s set at Ultra can set the tone for the entire year – good or bad.

This year was even more important as it was Ultra’s 15th year on the block. We went big, as we most definitely were not going home without a party. Ultra became the first EDM festival to cover two weekends, with a record breaking 330,000 people in attendance. And at UMF TV, we wanted to break some records of our own… which we did. We became the most viewed festival event in North America to date, with 10 million unique viewers; over 200,000 of which viewed concurrently for Swedish House Mafia’s final set, making it the highest concurrent number of views for any US non-sponsored music stream, as declared by YouTube.

For me, personally, Ultra Miami 2013 was the culmination of a whirlwind year. I moved to Los Angeles in March of 2011 as an aspiring TV Host. I gave myself a year to turn that aspiration into a reality. Exactly one year later, in March of 2012, Charly Friedrichs aka Final Kid, the mastermind behind the masterpiece, randomly saw my demo reel online and e-mailed me to be the new UMF TV host. In fact, he had to e-mail twice as I didn’t receive the first e-mail! Damn you, Spam! It was a dream job. I was literally looking at flights to go to Ultra! So, to not only be going there, but to be the host, was truly an honor and a no-brainer.

Then, EDM exploded and so did Ultra. I remember speaking to some of the guys about my travel goals for 2012, specifically Ibiza and Buenos Aires. By May, I had been to both, thanks to Ultra. While I cannot confirm this, I strongly believe I booked my other dream- being an MTV VJ– because of my experience and expertise in the music world via Ultra. By the end of the year, I had to think of new dreams as I had accomplished everything that I thought was once so unattainable! (I totally feel like a self-help book writing that.)

So while many people experienced the symptoms above because of the incredibly cinematic genius that is Charly’s work, I experienced those on a different level. Goosebumps, elation, awe, excitement, and, yes, a hint of sadness that such an amazing year had come to an end. If you follow me on my various social medias, you know the journey still continues with Ultra – and is only going to be getting bigger! – but I guess, nothing compares to your first time, right? It was my first year living my dream- owning it and breathing in every moment – and I couldn’t be more thankful to an organization and the dance community for embracing me and making those dreams come true.

Without further sappiness, here is Relive Ultra 2013: The Official Aftermovie. You will notice a familiar face around the 3:40 mark.

 

 

And here is my own recap! My behind-the-scenes video of what went down at Ultra Miami 2013 on the day of Swedish House Mafia’s last set.

How to Get Drunk off Donuts

 

I feel like the M&M guys, “Oh my gosh- They DO exist!” In a little pastry shop in Chicago, Illinois sits a Polish woman making donuts that do in fact get you drunk. To be precise, it’s more of a head buzz from the combination of sugar and strong alcohol used in the filling, but whatever the case lots of laughter ensues after eating the donuts. Don’t believe me? Check out the video above.

To get your own Drunken Donuts, check out Delightful Pastries. They deliver- even outside the Chicago area. I had mine shipped all the way to Los Angeles, and they arrived way fresher than the Starbucks donuts around the corner.