PLUS Youth Impact Report ’09 Fia R D Y , D Ecember 4 , 2 0 0 9 V a R Iety
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
PLUS YOUTH IMPACT REPORt ’09 FIA R D Y , D ECEMBER 4 , 2 0 0 9 V A R IETY . C O M / F E A T U R ES n A 1 INSIDE THE ON-SET OF CHILDHOOD wo “Twilight” films have opened since T last year’s Youth Impact Report, demon- strating once again how talent not yet old enough GROWING UP to drink are driving some of the industry’s top properties. From teeny- bopper sensation Justin Bieber to YouTube break- Sam Emerson out Lucas Cruikshank SOCIAL CLICK: Nearly (aka “Fred”), these tyros IN CHARACTER are calling the shots. 2 million online fans were following Miley Cyrus when Top properties demand decade-or-more commitments from moppets — Peter Debruge, the teen celeb canceled her Associate Editor, Features Twitter account last October. By KATHY TRACY TW I EET S XTEEN rom “The Chronicles of Narnia” to “Twilight” and “Hannah Montana” to “Drake & Josh,” youth entertain- ment seems to depend less on one- T ech-savvy offs than massive multiyear proper- Fties. That in turn can put an enormous burden on the cast, who must commit the better part stars brave of their childhoods to playing characters indel- Power of Youth ibly identified with the franchise brand. In Variety fetes five stars – some cases, they are the brand on whom the WHEN DANIEL MET HARRY: Radcliffe who’ve used their fame virtual space whole enterprise depends. (The Harry Potter and co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Wat- to aid others – at its an- series was able to replace its Dumbledore after son have been playing kid wizards since 2000. nual philanthropy party. By TARA McNAMARA the death of actor Richard Harris, but could it PAGE A2 survive the loss of its star, Daniel Radcliffe?) Nickelodeon’s executive VP for talent. “In V talkshow appear- On the television front, the two kidvid our adult world, nobody accommodates us for Impact list ances, magazine heavyweights, Nickelodeon and Disney, follow down time. But in a child’s life on a set, we do Meet the 25 under-21 interviews and press T production schedules geared toward minimiz- take that seriously. At our studios on Sunset talents and adult mentors junkets are so 2008 when it ing work stress. Boulevard, where we shoot ‘iCarly’ and ‘Vic- who transformed youth comes to marketing young “We respect the balance between work torious,’ the greenrooms are filled with games entertainment in 2009. performers. Increasingly, life and personal life,” says Paula Kaplan, See GROWING page A24 brand builders find more PAGE A5 power in using digital media to give fans direct (albeit vir- tual) access to their favorite celebrities online. “The traditional model is PR-to-media-to-consumer. Now we have the ability to go straight to the consumer,” Alumni update says Laura Ackermann, se- Last year’s Impact stars nior publicist for L.A. prais- are still making waves. ery Much and House, which Find out how they’ve represents such youth talent been keeping busy. as Yara Shahidi (“Imagine PAGE A5 That”) and Mitchel Musso (“Hannah Montana”). According to Walt Disney Up next Records’ media honcho Matt You may not recognize Fitz-Henry, “It’s important to them today, but you will create content and distribu- a year from now. Meet tion networks that allow fans tomorrow’s young stars. to interact with our artists PAGE8 A1 wherever they spend time online,” which entails making Looking ahead webisodes, iPod applications Teen writers guest- and special online widgets. edit a page of stories But it’s the (relatively) un- focused on issues See VIRTUAL page A26 affecting them. PAGE8 A2 INSIDE: KNEN EDY ceNTER HONORS: Legends come from music, acting and even comedy. 9 PAGE A2 1204nyA01, A24, A26 1 12/2/2009 6:01:05 PM A 2 n VARIETY.COM/FEATURES V P L U S n Y O U T H I M P A C T R E P O R T ’ 0 9 F R I D A Y , D E CEMBER 4, 2009 POWER OF YOUTH: HONOREES WHT A : Variety’s Power of Youth ‘World’s Greatest Block Party’ WHEN: Saturday – Noon to 4 p.m. WHERE: Paramount Studios’ New York Street, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles These five young stars — recipients of Variety’s Power of Youth prize — use their celebrity to help others in need CO RBIN BLEU Starlight spokesman sees org’s effect on families WHO: Best known as Zac Efron’s best friend Chad in the “High School Musi- cal” movies, Corbin Bleu has also made a name for himself in the music indus- try. Earlier this year, he released “Speed of Light,” his second studio album. Film and television credits Junior league leads by include “Galaxy Quest” (1999), “Free Style” (2008) and “The Beautiful Life” example at Power party (2009). WHAT: Replacing Jamie By TARA McNAMARA Lee Curtis, Bleu is the new national spokesperson for U going to the Variety Power of Youth?” Starlight Children’s Foun- at what a huge difference WHAt’s NEXT: Besides The tweet from 13-year-old actress Bella Thorne sums dation, dedicated to im- the (organization) makes recently launching a fund- up the excited Web chatter among kid stars in anticipa- proving the quality of life for not only these children raising page (firstgiving. tion of “The World’s Greatest Block Party” Saturday on for children with chronic but also their families, com/corbinbleu), Bleu will the Paramount lot. and life-threatening ill- who are also affected. I be participating in Star- RNow in its third year, Variety’s Power of Youth event has become nesses and injuries by pro- consider family one of the light’s annual the Great a hot ticket among teen talent, serving up fun, performances and food viding entertainment, edu- most important aspects of Escape holiday party at to both young stars and children cation and family activities life, because at the end of the CBS lot. “We convert directly affected by the event’s that help them cope with the day your family is who the whole space into a win- beneficiaries: Starlight Children’s the pain, fear and isolation is always going to be there ter wonderland with snow, Foundation, which helps seriously ill of prolonged illness. for you. When it comes to Santa Claus, gifts for the children and their families cope with these children, their fam- kids to take home, every- their diseases through entertainment WHY: “I started about five ily is all they have because thing! These children get and education; and L.A.’s BEST, years ago when I did a hos- some of them never get to to forget about their wor- which provides after-school activities pital visit and was shocked leave the hospital.” ries for a while.” and education to more than 28,000 economically disadvantaged kids. The afternoon will include perfor- MI RANDA COSGROVE ‘iCarly’ star seeks a cure with math mances by Honor Society, School of WHO: Miranda Cosgrove’s break- Rock and the casts through performance on Nickelodeon’s of “Fame” and ABC “Drake and Josh” led to her own show Family’s “Make on the net, “iCarly.” The actress-singer’s It or Break It,” film credits include “The School of Rock,” as attendees have “Keeping Up With the Steins” and an the chance to visit upcoming voice performance in Univer- activity stations set sal’s animated “Despicable Me” alongside up by sponsors Best Steve Carell. Buy @15, Electronic Arts, Sony PlaySta- WHAT: St. Jude Children’s Research tion, Chipotle, Coca- Hospital, located in Memphis, Tenn., Cola and Kyocera. is one of the world’s premier pediatric Last year, teen stars Selena Gomez and cancer research centers. Its mission is Miranda Cosgrove competed in a virtual to find cures for children with cancer dance-off. That kind of spontaneous moment and other catastrophic diseases through is what sets Variety’s Power of Youth event research and treatment. Cosgrove is apart (the year before, Miley Cyrus and involved with the organization’s fund- Vanessa Hudgens did an impromptu kara- raising program, Math-a-Thon, a free oke together), creating an unforgettable math curriculum supplement for grades day for disadvantaged and seriously ill chil- K-8. dren to interact with the performers they admire on a peer level. Young stars, too, WHY: “I got a call about visiting the collect magical moments. “I remember one hospital with the Jonas Brothers and See EVENT page A26 Angus Jones (“Two and a Half Men”). WHAt’s NEXT: Along with future visits We went and met the kids, who were so to St. Jude, Cosgrove will participate in GEN WHY: At last year’s event, from top, cool. That really got me into the (orga- another upcoming Math-a-Thon event. In Selena Gomez painted a mural for St. Jude nization). It just seemed like a perfect addition to recently completing its $1 bil- Children’s Hospital, Kyle Massey caught up fit, because I love kids and I love making lion, five-year expansion, St. Jude is ex- with Sprouse twins Dylan and Cole, Mitchel people happy, and at the same time, I panding the hospital’s Intl. Outreach and Musso visited with Variety publisher Brian had a lot of fun doing karaoke and draw- Domestic Affiliate programs as well as m Gott, and Meaghan Jette Martin wore pink. I ing games and just meeting everyone an alliance with Rady Children’s Hospital Getty ages and getting to know them.” and the U. of California. 1204nyA02-A03 2 12/2/2009 5:57:31 PM F R I D A Y , D E CEMBER 4, 2009 V P L U S n Y O U T H I M P A C T R E P O R T ’ 0 9 V ARIETY.COM/ F E A T U R E S n A 3 WHAT: Variety’s Power of Youth ‘World’s Greatest Block Party’ WHEN: Saturday – Noon to 4 p.m.