Blog Archives

Jul 28 2014

Interview with Gloria Taylor

Gloria Taylor is a 20-year old model residing in Sacramento, California.

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

Gloria Taylor born in Berkeley, CA, and raised in Richmond, CA. I’m mixed with El Salvadorian and African American. Aside from modeling I dance hip hop and contemporary and I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, swimming, taking long naps on the beach, especially when the tides are rough. It’s so relaxing! As of sports track and basketball will always be a part of my life, even if i’m not playing professionally.

When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?

Well as a little girl all I wanted was to be a model from seeing how beautiful the girls looked in the magazines to the girls I’ve seen in the toothpaste commercials I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I met a women named Fallon who was a hair stylist and she needed someone to be a model for her hair styles. That’s where I came in. I had my first photo shoot in Hercules, CA with her and a friend of her who was the MUA. I used those photos to get me on MM and since that day I’ve been pushing for the top and I’m still going!

What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

Personal goal of mine is to just be happy and to be able to pass along love and light to any and everyone. Life’s too short to be angry at anything and life itself is all a learning experience. So roll with the punches and smile! As of professional goals I would like to be signed to a great agency in California so that they may help me turn into the best and versatile model that I may be. Five to ten years from now I see myself being signed, landing huge gigs, and being able to use the popularity I’ll gain to be a motivational speaker to the younger girls wanting to come into this dog eat dog industry.

How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?

I’m working as often as time allows me to. I try to keep things versatile sometimes commercial other times high fashion or urban. I don’t like to consider myself as a model of a certain “genre”; If it appeals to me and I think I’m capable of it then I’m going for it.

Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.

I consider all of my shoots a great learning experience. The only time I’ve had a somewhat negative experience was dealing with a very blunt photographer telling me to suck in my stomach, mind you I’m already 100 lbs. I didn’t know I could suck anything else in.

Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?

To know me is to know that I am a huge dork! So I’ve had plenty of embarrassing moments. One of those that I remember most vividly was at a shoot in downtown Sacramento as I was doing a cute commercial shot you know just walking downtown holding my ice cream not really watching where I’m walking, I somehow trip over my own two feet and end up with my oh so lovely ice cream all over my face and shirt. As I was laughing it made for a cute picture but quite embarrassing. The photographer of course helped me up and we had a great laugh.

Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?

Man is there? The pressure for models to be “fit” and skinny is really killer. I know from experience from trying to limit my eating to the point of starvation or many other ways, I know hands on what it is like to try and fit in this industry. That’s something that MUST change, it’s slowly but surely killing not only our health but self esteem as well.

Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.

You want the truth? I eat what make’s me happy, but no junk food! Home cooked hardy meals are my favorite but I always work out from gym time to yoga and personal training with my partner, I do what I have to do to make sure i’m shoot ready everyday.

Please share something people don’t know about you.

Most people won’t tell from looking at me or talking with me but I speak fluent spanish. The reaction I get from people when I just bust out my espanol is priceless.

Would you change anything about yourself (physical or otherwise) if you could?

I wouldn’t change anything. I love who I’ve grown to be but I definitely must say I need to work on my body tone, that means more working out and maybe a little more salad haha.

Are you currently in a relationship? How would you describe your partner and sex-life?

I am currently in a relationship with my partner and she is absolutely amazing. She’s sweet, funny, honest, athletic, and really she’s just a beautiful soul all around. Our sex life well… let’s just say I’m quite pleased.

Feb 02 2014

Team Zoic at Rebounderz

This fun video highlights Team Zoic, a parkour and freerunning team out of Orlando as they take on and conquer Rebounderz, a trampoline park in Orlando Florida. The team bounces around the trampolines, doing flips and kicks from trampoline to trampoline and into a foam pit. They also play dodgeball and dunk basketballs. The guys show off their parkour and freerunning skills all over this trampoline park and show how to get the most out of an amazingly fun theme park. Watch this video and you’ll definitely get the itch to head to the closest trampoline park to you get some bouncing in.

Rebounderz is the best trampoline park I’ve been to so far. Last time I was in Orlando I visited out another one called Airheads first, but it was closed for a kid’s birthday party. When I visited Rebounderz I was glad I hadn’t paid at the other one since it looked way better equipped. I spent a few hours jumping around and playing dodgeball. It’s amazing how tiring it is if you go all out.

+ Who: Team Zoic, or Zoic Nation, are a group of traceurs/freerunners from Orlando, Florida in the United States. The members are Jon Watson, Andy Taylor, Angle Santiago, Gareth Norvell, Mark Stowell, Will Brown, Crazy Stupid Kid Jimmy, Casey Jones. They have a very active presence on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Vimeo. In their own words, they are a group dedicated to having fun and spreading their love of parkour, and not getting tied down in defining what it means to do parkour, free-running or tricking. They are simply all about having fun and accepting all styles as they get better and enjoy life.
+ Where: This video was filmed at Rebounderz in Orlando, Florida. Rebounderz is an indoor trampoline arena promising family fun and fitness. They have an open jump arena, with trampolines on the floor and sides that adds up to 24,000 square feet to jump. They also have a foam pit jumper, where you can launch yourself into a pit of foam squares, a dodgeball arena, and a basketball dunking jumper. They also host parties (which include pizza) and summer camps. On the Rebounderz website you can take a virtual tour, sign your wavier form (all jumpers must sign a waiver) and book your party.
+ What: The video begins with the Zoic crew getting out of their cars and heading in to the arena. They begin jumping (0:17) into the foam pit, and then take on the open jump arena (0:24). Shots of foam pit jumping and open pit jumping and flips are mixed until (1:18) when the crew gets together for an exciting game of dodgeball. At (1:38) we see some breakdancing on the floor. More dodgeball and shots of Rebounderz are joined by more foam pit jumping and then (2:15) basketball dunking. (2:35) the video ends with Jon Watson, the Youtuber and member who uploaded the video, talking about next week’s video and instructing users about how to manage their Youtube subscriptions.

Jan 30 2014

What happens when you cross gymnastics and basketball?

This video from Inspiri Productions features world-class European gymnasts performing creative and elaborate routines before a live audience. Male and female gymnasts mix traditional gymnastics disciplines such as floor, bars, and vault together with rhythmic disciplines and even basketball dunking and dance. Strength, balance, speed and yes, even drama, combine to produce an incredibly entertaining show. This beautiful high-definition video, shot with Canon and GoPro cameras, is mixed with the up-beat and appropriate Cash Cash song “Kiss the Sky.” It’s a fast-paced and action-packed three minute video that will have you on the edge of your seat and clapping your hands.

+ Who: Inspiri Productions is a public relations, photo and video studio company that produces simply spectacular videos. They have produced several viral videos and even been featured on Good Morning America in the United States. Their Youtube videos, primarily sports related, have hundreds of thousands of views. This video features world class gymnasts from Germany, Russia, Ukraine, France, Belgium and Hungary. Many of the gymnasts featured have performed for Cirque du Soleil, and some of them were world champions in their gymnastic discipline. The amazing basketball dunks in this video were performed by the Hungarian stunt team Lords of Gravity. Lords of Gravity perform all over Europe.
+ Where: This video was shot in Germany and France in December of 2013 before live studio audiences. The gymnasts performed in an open, indoor arena with the space necessary to perform their amazing routines. They used typical gymnastics equipment such as bars, mats and trampolines as well as basketball goals. The entertaining show has been performed all over the region to the delight of those lucky enough to see it live. For the rest of us, we luckily have this wonderfully shot high definition video.
+ What: The video beings with two female gymnasts on the uneven bars. At (0:08) we go to a male gymnast doing a tumbling routine. Then (0:12), a female gymnast dressed as a referee performs on the trampoline. It transitions quickly between two male gymnasts on a see-saw (0:18) into a dunk from a trampoline (0:19). Then there is another tumbling routing (0:20) and two male gymnasts performing a floor routine with giant hoops (0:23). Several women gymnasts perform a rhythmic floor routine (0:28) and then several male gymnasts perform an acrobatic floor routine (0:30). The Lords of Gravity take the floor at (0:35) for basketball dunks. The female trampoliner returns at (0:42) and at (0:48) we return to the see-saw team. A dancer hits the floor at (0:50) and then we return for several more acrobatic and tumbling routines. At (1:03) we see a new dancer, doing a break-inspired routine. More of the see-saw team, the Lords of Gravity and tumbling follow in quick succession. At (1:16) a male gymnast works the parallel bars. Immediately after we see more of the giant hoops and then more tumbling at (1:21). The Lords of Gravity perform more elaborate dunking at (1:25). Hoops, rhythmic floor routine, dancing, dunking, trampolining, team floor work and team tumbling follows. The video is rounded out by more of the same. The performers get face time and at (2:23) and then take bows.