Ben Giroux Interview - Jersey Shore Shark Attack

JSSA: Hello there Ben. 

Ben Giroux: Hello!

JSSA: How are you doing today?

Ben Giroux: It's a good day: I'm on the front of SyFy's website getting my head eaten by a super-sized albino shark.  So, you know, a typical Thursday.

JSSA: How was your experience playing the role of "Joey Pelligrino" in Jersey Shore Shark Attack?

Ben Giroux: I had an absolute blast working with such a talented, funny group of people.  It's always such a pleasure working on sets where both the cast and crew are genuinely having a great time.  John (the director) has a wonderful, positive demeanor -- and a wicked sense of humor.  Jeremy, Joey, Booko, Grant, and Dylan were all super rad.  I have a whole new appreciation for abdominal muscles and spray tans.

JSSA: What was your process for getting the role?

Ben Giroux: I've had some pretty crazy auditions in my life: I've hung from a man-sized baby bjorn, I've jumped around a casting office as a monkey-creature, and I've played a human bowling pin.  But my audition for "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" takes the cake: I had to mimic being eaten by a shark.  Easy in theory, hard in practice.  I like to really embody the roles I audition for -- but dismembering my limbs seemed like an excessive choice.  So, I listened to the JAWS theme song, screamed really loud, and BAM -- booked the part.  Take that, method acting.

JSSA: What were some of your favorite moments on set?

Ben Giroux: My character MC'ed a wet T-shirt content.  I will die a happy man.

JSSA: Was there one scene you think stands out for you?

Ben Giroux: The obvious scene that stands out is... SPOILER ALERT... where I get eaten by a shark.  There's a sentence you don't see everyday, right?  Here's the real horror story: we shot this movie in November at Redondo Beach Pier.  That's winter time, for those of you keeping score at home.  JP's costume couldn't accommodate a wet-suit, and I had to repeatedly dive into 46-degree water at 6:30 AM.  I could only be in the water for three minutes at a time before I started to lose feeling in my limbs.  It was definitely one of the most physically exhausting (and COLD!) experiences of my acting career -- but it was a total blast.  As George Costanza would say... "there was significant shrinkage."

JSSA: Do you feel there are positive and negative stereotypes because of the TV show Jersey Shore?

Ben Giroux: There is much to be analyzed from "Jersey Shore Shark Attack."  Stereotypes.  Socio-economic strife.  Geological implications.  World peace.  The entire film is actually a subtle commentary on existentialism.  And if you play the movie backwards, you can hear Joey Fatone whispering philosophical musings from Henry David Thoreau.  It's actually quite profound.

JSSA: What reactions are you expecting from your audience watching Jersey Shore Shark Attack?

Ben Giroux: Tears, screams, psychotic laughter -- total, utter chaos.  I'd expect nothing less.

JSSA: When and where can your fans watch Jersey Shore Shark Attack?

Ben Giroux: This Saturday night, June 9th, on SyFy!  It will also undoubtedly be available on DVD in the near future -- so buy it too!

JSSA: Do you have new projects on the burner to tell your fans about?

Ben Giroux: I've always got my hand in a myriad of projects.  My company, Small Red Cape, is producing a variety of comedy web and TV content.  Check out BenAndBurman.com and AwkwardUniverse.com for our latest work.  We're also moving into production on a new web project called "Sh*tty Dates" -- which is exactly what it sounds like.

In addition, I just filmed another movie with the JSSA crew (directed by Peter Sullivan), dubbed "Twister Warning!"  I'm apparently a masochist... I went from sharks to tornadoes.

JSSA: Where is the best place for Ben Giroux fans to find out the most information about those upcoming projects?

Ben Giroux: To stay up-to-date with all my projects, please check out BenGiroux.com and subscribe to me on Twitter @BenGiroux -- thanks!

JSSA: Thanks a bunch for taking the time out of your day to sit back and chat with us. We look so forward to seeing you as "Joey Pelligrino "on Jersey Shore Shark Attack.

My pleasure -- enjoy the movie!

-- Ben
Ben Giroux
Actor | Producer

Steven M. Blasini - Visual Effects - Jersey Shore Shark Attack

Hi Steve! Thank you for your time.
*************************************
JSSA: How did you get started in special effects?

Steven Blasini: I have dreamed of a career in Visual Effects since the age of 7. My older brother Tony seeded and fed my yearning by taking me to see most of the effects laden films of the time. Determined to bring my dream to life using any and all tools at my disposal, I would shoot Super 8 movies with "visual effects" created using cardboard, Styrofoam and any other piece of cool looking "junk" I could find. Back then there were no Computer Generated effects and living in New York there was no access to the field. So through trial and error (and a bit of fate sprinkled in) I set myself up in the computer industry where I started my own successful computer consulting firm. Jurassic Park then came along and bridged the worlds of Computers and Visual Effects creating the "backdoor" I needed.

In 1998, after the unexpected demise of my 17 year marriage, I sold my computer business, packed my minivan with everything I owned and drove cross country to establish a new life in the Dream City of Los Angeles. Two months later I landed a job as an animator in a small independent film studio where I advanced in short time to Visual Effects Supervisor and Department Head.

In 2000 I met the woman of my dreams, married her in 2001 and together we founded a rapidly growing Visual Effects and Graphics Design company, BFX Imageworks. So the dream I had at the age of 7 came true some 30 years later. Never give up. Hold on tight to your dreams and never let them go. They DO come true!


JSSA: What was a poignant moment for you as you were learning the skills of special effects?

Steven Blasini: I suppose it was when I created a short film where a T-Rex chases a poor sap and ends up grabbing him
by the leg and carrying him off. That poor sap was ME! So not only did I create the animation, I had to create
a digital double of myself....everyone loved it!

JSSA: Do you have a favorite effect that you've done over the years?

Steven Blasini: There are many, but if I had to choose one, it would be one particular scene from our 2007 Sy-Fy Channel movie "Ice Spiders".
In it, there's one shot where a spider is "chomping" on a dead human carcass.. which I had also created completely in CGI and when the director came by to review it.. he asked me where I had gotten an extra to perform that scene... he was completely unaware that the entire shot was CG. That's the best compliment ever!

JSSA: What was your inspiration in Jersey Shore Shark Attack?

Steven Blasini: Well, Jersey Shore Shark Attack marks our THIRD shark movie that we've done.. so we're becoming somewhat of a Shark Shop when it comes to VFX. For all our movies we have to do TONS of research on whatever creature we're generating and animating so you can imagine how EXPERT we've become on this Shark Subject!

JSSA: Was there a shot in the film that was more tricky than the other?

Steven Blasini: There's a sequence where the yacht that the "preppies" are on is sinking because of a hole made by a ramming shark... they couldn't sink the real boat, nor did we have the time or budget to recreate it in CG.. so I had to come up with a clever way to take the actual real boat, extract it from the scene.. and place it lower and lower into the ocean and add the CGI shark fins all the while keeping a realistic water line. That was a HARD one to figure out.. especially since not only was the boat the camera was on moving and bobbing, but the camera was handheld...

JSSA: How much was creative and how much was technical?

Steven Blasini: I would say in general MOST of our work is 75% creative and 25% technical. Once you setup systems and pipelines to handle most things you encounter.. you are free to be creative.

JSSA: Do you work more independantly off script when doing films?

Steven Blasini: We enjoy a great reputation of pretty much handling most if not all of our effects shots from conception. There are the occasional producer or director notes.. but we are given a lot of autonomy because after having done over 60 films, we really get it. Plus we usually enjoy very good relationships with everyone we work with.

JSSA: What is a great avenue for fans of yours, your effects and Jersey Shore Shark Attack to find information about you?

Steve Blasini: 
Our website at:

http://bfximageworks.com

and our Facebook company page at:

https://www.facebook.com/BFXImageworks

JSSA: What words of wisdom do you have for future Special Effects artists?

Steve Blasini: I think I can re-quote myself from question one above... Never give up. Hold on tight to your dreams, never let them go and don't EVER EVER let ANYONE dissuade you. You can most DEFINITELY make them come true! My wife and I are proof of that!
;-)

Thank you so much, Steve!

Jeremy Luke as 'TC' The Complication in Jersey Shore Shark Attack

Jeremy Luke as 'TC' The Complication in Jersey Shore Shark Attack

Learn more about Jeremy HERE

You can find an exclusive interview on this blog from Jeremy Luke.

Tony Sirico as 'Captain Salie' in Jersey Shore Shark Attack

Tony Sirico as 'Captain Salie' in Jersey Shore Shark Attack 

Learn more about Tony here.

Melissa Molinaro - Exclusive Interview

Melissa Molinaro as 'Nooki'

Thank you, Melissa Molinaro. We appreciate your time to reach out to your fans with us.

Q: How was your experience playing the role of 'Nooki' in the film? How did you prepare for that role?

Melissa Molinaro: The experience was amazing. It's not everyday that you get to play a character like this. LOL! Being Italian, I knew this role like the back of my hand. It didn't

take long before my nails and hair were guido-fied!

Q: What were some of your favorite memories on set?

Melissa Molinaro: My favorite memory was laughing with the cast in between takes wondering if we were ever going to get through the scene.

Q: In addition to acting you're an amazing musician. What a beautiful thing to be so talented. Do you have a favorite of the two, music or acting?

Melissa Molinaro: It all goes hand in hand for me. Back in the day you had to be able to do it all. I guess I consider myself a triple threat. I can’t have one without the other.

Q: I hear also through the grapevine there will be one of your songs in the movie. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Melissa Molinaro: I recorded two songs for the film. One of them is your true guido-fist-pumping dance smash, and the other is more of a dubstep feel. I’m not sure which one of my tracks they will be putting in, but we’ve submitted a couple of them as well.

Q: What reactions are you expecting from the audience from the film?

Melissa Molinaro: I think they’re going to be highly entertained. There’s a little bit for everyone; action, 

a love story, comedy, but most importantly love the characters in the film. We all bring something to the table. I’m very proud to be a part of this cast. In my opinion, this movie is hilarious!

Q: I have asked this question to all the cast members I have interviewed, simply out of curiosity. Not that we enjoy stereotyping and such, but it is out there. Do you feel there are positive and negative stereotypes because of shows like Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore housewives?

Melissa Molinaro: Obviously, these reality shows are heightened versions of what a typical Italian family is like, but that’s what makes it so entertaining to watch.

Q: Do you have new projects in the works? If so, where is the best place for your fans to keep up to date with all that information?

Melissa Molinaro: I just finished shooting a pilot called “Bounce” about an NBA dance team. Being a dancer, and an actress, this is a dream project to be a part of. This summer, I’m also shooting a Lion’s Gate comedy called “School Dance.” And I hope to get a music video out to my fans very soon. 

Everyone can keep up with me on my website melissamolinaro.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all @melissamolinaro.

Q: Do you have any inspiring thoughts for any of your fans out there that may be interested in becoming an actor or musician?

Melissa Molinaro: The most important thing is believing in yourself, even when no one else sees what you see. There might be a lot of no’s before yes’s but if this is what you want, you have to keep going. Never give up.

Thank you again Melissa for your time. We look so forward for this film to come out June 9th, SyFy Network. Check local listings for showtimes.