Hey TGs, if you've got your newsstand copy of Total Girl July, you'll have your epic new Rainbow Watch right now! Here's a l'il guide if you need a hand setting it: 

As you can see, the watch has two buttons: left and right. 
The left is how you select.
The right is how you set.

Step 1. Set the month. Press select (left) button until it matches the watch in the photo.

Then press set (right) button until the correct month is displayed.



Step 2. Set the day. Press select (left) button until it matches the watch in the photo. Then press set (right) until the correct day is displayed. 



Step 3. Set the hour. Press select (left) button until it matches the watch in the photo. Then press set (right) until the correct hour is displayed. A stands for AM and P stands for PM. 



Step 4. Set the minute. Press select (left) button until it matches the watch in the photo. Then press set (right) until the correct minute is displayed. 



Step 5. Finish up. Press the select button (left) again and you should see the correct time displayed.



Enjoy your new Rainbow Watches!

Claire xo

Thanks to Instructables for the guide from which this has been adapted.

Hey TGs!

Swashbuckling - it's a word I don't get to use nearly enough! Now that I've seen Solo: A Star Wars Story, I can - that is one swashbuckling adventure movie. 

So as you may know, it's set, er, a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. So long ago, in fact, that Han Solo is a young dude who hasn't even met Chewbacca yet, or set foot in the Millennium Falcon. For those who don't know, Alden Ehrenreich is this movie's young Han, as opposed to Harrison Ford, who is vintage Han. 

Han wants to be the galaxy's best pilot, like the boss of the air. When he is separated from his fave gal Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), cue a series of daring escapades in which he must team up with the Wookiee we have all come to know and love, and have epic adventures as he tries to find his way back to her.

I thought the flick had a great sense of humour and was terrific fun. Fans will want to get amongst because it has a lot to offer: spectacle, cool, hilarious aliens, adventure, love and two of the best pals space has ever seen. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story is in cinemas 24 May. 

Hey TGs,

Picked up your copy of TG May with Taylor on the cover? If you haven't yet, get onto it! 
One of the v cool comps, 'Sketch Yourself', calls on TGs to draw themselves as they would like to be in the future. So far we have sah many ah-mazing entries. Don't be shy - get involved. You could win two of the books in the series, Lottie Perkins, Movie Star and Lottie Perkins, Ballerina. What will you draw? What do you aspire to be one day? I can't wait to see your entries! For details on how to enter, pick up the May issue. It's May-May with Tay Tay, haha!

xo Claire 

P.S: I aspire to be a professional Pomeranian hugger. I am not kidding about this!

Hey TGs!

So my Tuesday night was down at this v. cool screening of the latest from the Marvel universe, Avengers: Infinity War. This movie is one for older TGs - it has fantasy themes and violence.  

BTW, I was given a special Avengers pin as I went in, which made me feel super cool. I think they called it a recruitment pin! So watch out - if you see me out and about, I might end up recruiting you as a new superhero!

Infinity War is BIG. It's a cast of thousands, truly. You are basically guaranteed to see your fave Marvel hero (unless your fave happens to be SPOILER ALERT Hawkeye or Ant-Man). Do you like Thor, Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Black Widow or Scarlet Witch? Yep, the whole gang is here. 

BUT the bigness is so epic that if you're a newcomer to this universe, you might feel a tad overwhelmed and not up to speed unless you've seen some of Marvel's latest offerings. 

In Infinity War, can Earth's mightiest heroes defeat a formidable foe, Thanos - a gigantic, purple-skinned and super strong being who wants to wipe out massive populations and thinks he's acting out of mercy? Come for the huge effects and the spectacle, stay for the frequent LOLs and feels you get when the plot conspires to turn emotionally-connected people against one another. 

Reviewers were asked NOT to spoil the ending, but I would like to say it surprised me a lot. I sat there, watching the credits rolling (and you've got to if you're a Marvel fan, to unlock a secret extra scene at the end), going, "OMG."

Are you planning to see Infinity War? Which of Earth's Mightiest Heroes are your faves? And if you were a superhero, what would you get up to?

xo Claire

Hey TGs,

Today is NEW MAG DAY. Sorry, didn't mean to yell, I just get SO EXCITED. 

One thing you should know is Team TG is pretty musical (I mean, me aside). TG's Laura is a singer-songwriter and she's the gal behind the 'TG's Songwriting School' story - she even hit up Kelsea Ballerini for top tips. And, because Kelsea is a sweetie, she gave us this lovely shoutout, take a look... 



There's a LOT more to love in this month's TG, so pick it up now!
xo Claire

Hey TGs!

Do you ever dream of getting slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards?! I TOTALLY do. Face it - getting slimed is a big honour and so is a KCA! As we are thiiiis close to finding out exactly who gets a gong, I thought I'd share an exclusive interview and video.

Here's TG's own interview with awesome KCA nominee, Olivia Deeble of Home & Away!

What’s something you would tell your 10-year-old self if you could? 
To keep working hard because exciting things are going to happen and you should always be happy and not care what other people think about you. Keep doing what you love.

When you aren’t feeling confident at all, how do you build up your own confidence? 
You need to be grateful for what you have -  I think about all the good things about myself and my life and focus on what I am good at. I try to remember that the things I’m not good at, I’m just not good at them yet (that can be a personal thing too - like talking to people or believing in myself) and that if I keep learning and try, I will get better at it. 

Who is your hero? 
My mum, and also Margot Robbie. 

Is hanging around Summer Bay as awesome as it looks? What do you love about being a Home & Away actor?
Yes it is! I get to go to the beach every day for work and I love all the great friends that I have made with the cast and crew.

What does it mean to you to be up for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award? 
It means the world to me to be nominated, I'm so excited and I really hope I get slimed!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the awards are so great because KIDS get to vote for their favourites and it will be loads of fun.

Here's a spesh treat for you, a TG exclusive video (with JoJo Siwa, Lizzy Greene and more of your faves!). 

Tune in to find out who gets the gongs and to see aaaalll the slime at 5pm Monday, 26th March.

Hey TGs!

Guess where I went last night with the TG fam? THE POWERPUFF GIRLS X PETER ALEXANDER GLOBAL LAUNCH!!! Sorry, didn't mean to yell, I just got SUPER EXCITED.




'Wait a minute,' I hear you say. 'There aren't that many people in Team TG!'

Well, that's true! That's Laura and me, and Aaron and Insi, and those other gals are ah-mazing dancers who got to wear Powerpuff Girls x Peter Alexander jammies and dance the night away to the Powerpuff Girls theme song! So. Much. Fun!

This event was ah-mazing. They had a candy bar (you could get cake pops that looked like Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup!). They had fruit on sticks. They had special fruit juice drinks (mocktails) in glass vials. They had bright blue sliders (OMTG!). Laura ate some and her teeth turned blue, hehehe. We got to see the range up close and we had aaaaalll the fun talking with the gang from Cartoon Network. PLUS we can all confirm the jammies are super cosy and comfy - do recommend!

Here we are in the photo booth. 



These are our delish juices. Raspberry was the best. Chemical X not included!



This range, which is perf for girls who want to save the world before bedtime, is out now. I am obsessed with the beauty bags. Yep!



Are you a fan of this range? Hit us up with a comment below and tell us about your fave jammies to wear when hanging with the squad!

xo Claire

Hey TGs!

Last night I went to THE COOLEST premiere. Legit, it was probably the biggest (or should I say GREATEST?) one I've ever been to! THE GREATEST SHOWMAN'S AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE IN SYDNEY AT THE STAR!

Haha. Getting a touch theatrical over here. 

I got there and there was a huge red carpet and crystal and flowers and everything. Here I am on the red carpet! I had to take all my stuff from TGHQ and everything, LOL.



Guess who else was there? Three huge movie stars: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and TG ultimate dream gal and star of our January cover (on sale now!), the one and only Zendaya. And she was in a magical butterfly dress. Stunning!


Photography Getty Images

Once we were inside the big, plush theatre. Z, Zac and Hugh took some questions from the emcee, Osher Gunsberg. And here's a bit about what they said:

ZAC: Zac said he had to "elevate to this guy's [Hugh Jackman's] level." The pair of them have a song and dance number in a bar, and Zac assured us the drinks are just Gatorade. Based on the colour, though, I'm pretty sure they were water. Haha!

ZENDAYA: Z was complimented on her romantic duet with Zac, 'Rewrite the Stars'. "It's about changing your own future," she said, adding that we all need to rewrite the stars when things are not as they ideally would be. Also, 'This Is Me' is her fave of all the songs (it IS pretty stunning and fierce). 

HUGH: Hugh said he'd loved to entertain, perform and tell stories since he was a kid at Pymble Public School. He added the movie was about all types of families - the ones we have, and the ones we somehow find. 

OK! The movie! Watch it for sure - you'll defs get swept away by how exciting it is, how grand and spectacular. The visuals are completely stunning and every song and each dance is done incredibly well (Z is breathtaking). It does feel a lot like actually being at the circus - intense, exhilarating and a heap of fun. And it has wonderful messages about accepting yourself for who you are and the world having to just deal because you are you - and the things that make you different might be the best things of all.

Don't forget to pick up January's Total Girl with Zendaya on the cover! Newsstand copies come with TWO free gifts - Shopkins World Vacation earphones, plus an Artline Stix pen. 

Are you going to see The Greatest Showman? Let me know in the comments what you think! 

xo Claire

P.S: OMTG, just a few more sleeps until Santa gets here! That is, for all of you who celebrate Christmas (and if you don't, I hope you have a good summer and fun holiday season too). I hope you've had a great year and enjoy a break and some time with your friends and fam. 

Hey TGs!

Our HEROES issue is on sale today with Zendaya on the cover! I love all sorts of heroes - that's why I've now seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi TWICE (to see me and TG's Insi at the premiere, go to Aaron's Entertainment Blog). 

I thought it was about time we took a look at the tutorial I made back when The Force Awakens came out if you want to do your hair just like Rey! Here you go...


Let me know if you're going to see the movie and if you've liked what you've seen if you've already gone! People have SO many different opinions about this movie but that's what makes life so interesting, right!?

Hey TGs, happy Monday! 

I want you to know I loved Coco. Loved it, loved it, loved it!

In Coco, music is Miguel's greatest joy - too bad his family utterly forbids it. But this hasn't stopped him from practising in secret so he can be like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. On the night of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), Miguel accidentally finds himself in the land of the dead. To rejoin the living, Miguel must team up with a downtrodden skeleton called Hector who has more than a few secrets of his own. 

So here's what I liked about it: 

1. The music is SO much fun. Like Miguel, I love the guitar (my mum can play it, but I can't). Side note: did you know there are some ah-mazing musicians on Team TG? It's true. Laura is a singer and Aaron plays guitar. Here I am pretending I am an awesome muso.



2. The visuals are stunning. You might imagine the land of the dead might be, er, a bit dead, but in Coco, it's lively and full of colour plus crazy characters who just might remind you of your own fam. 

3. It has a cute dog, Dante. Add one to any movie and I am THERE.

4. It's deeply emotional. I think all the grown ups around me were crying (and I was no exception). It's very happy, very sad and lots of things in between all at once. So if you go see it with your fam (and I think you'd enjoy it with them, since one of the main messages is how much your family loves you and will always be there for you, no matter what), be sure to bring a box of tissues. Just in case.

Are you going to go see Coco when it's out from Boxing Day? Do you play an instrument? Let me know in the comments!

Claire xo

Hey TGs!

Sometimes, you just wanna watch a big, crazy blockbuster with insane visual effects and lots of POW! And The Justice League movie defs delivers. I should say at this point it's for older TGs and there are some intense scenes.

I went to the premiere last night. Here I am...



And here are some of crime-fighters, which explains why Event Cinemas was completely devoid of crime. Jk. They were cool cosplayers who really brought some comic book realness on the night. 



~SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT ~ The movie's got an ensemble cast so perhaps not as much airtime for TG fave Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) as I'd have liked, but naturally, she kicks some serious butt. We get to watch the fallout of some big news about Superman and how an array of DC superheroes cope without him (or do they?!). 

Ezra Miller, who you might remember as Credence Barebone in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, brings the LOLs as the comic relief as The Flash in this movie and Amy Adams (Enchanted) is sweet, tender and tough as Lois Lane.

I thought it was a heap of fun and, on a lot of occasions, very funny too. Can't wait to see what the band of heroes do when their powers combine in future flicks in this universe. 

Who's your fave superhero? Let me know in the comments!
Clarie xo

Hey TGs,

OK, I love LEGO. Don't you? I love the colours, how you can build anything your heart desires and of course I love minifigures - the blocky little people who are too cute!

So I was psyched to go to the premiere of The LEGO Ninjago Movie in Sydney. I ran into this cool guy...


The movie had waaay more LOLs than I had foreseen. It's hilarious if you like martial arts movies and even if you don't. Truly, it's a giggle per minute and I can't stop singing this one silly song. Is it the new 'Everything is Awesome'? It might be!!!

In this flick, Lloyd, a teen boy, is troubled. He's troubled by how much everyone dislikes him and that most of this dislike stems from his super-bad dad, Lord Garmadon. Garmadon's crazy villainous ways are a threat to the city Ninjago. Can Lloyd and his pals, also secret ninjas, defeat Garmadon? Can Lloyd come to terms with having a four-armed papa who never says his name correctly (he always sounds both L's in 'Lloyd')? Will peace ever return to Ninjago? You'll have to watch the movie to find out, but I think you'll find it's a whole heap of fun. My fave character is Master Wu, voiced by Jackie Chan. He has some of the best lines in the movie and there are quite a lot of great ones.

Are you going to watch The LEGO Ninjago Movie? Let me know in the comments what you think!

xo Claire
 

Hey TGs!

Guess what one of my favourite things to do is?

Did you guess 'play with puppies'? YOU ARE CORRECT. I would put the puppy face emoji in here if I could.

But, also! One of my fave things to do is read. It always has been. I'm sure heaps of you feel exactly the same way. Sometimes TGs write in to say they really want to work at TGHQ one day and if this sounds like you, my best advice is to read. And read. Also read. Then read some more. Read every day. On sunny days. And cloudy days. Read on days that end with 'y'. 

Guess what else? The Australian Reading Hour is coming. It's on Thursday, 14 September. The idea is on this day, you get to stop what you're doing, pick up a book and read for an hour. Cool, hey?! I mean, I'm so on board with this. You should see my piles of books I have that I want to read and I haven't yet read. With a whole hour set aside, I'm going to bliss out and escape into a cool, fictional world. I love doing this. Here I am with a heap of cool books at TGHQ.



If you want to take part in The Australia Reading Hour, ask Mum, Dad or your teachers if you can check out details on readinghour.org.au. What are you going to read? Dork Diaries? Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Gangsta Granny? You can choose!

Here are my fave ways to find out what I might want to read next: 

• Ask my besties what they read and enjoyed.
• Read reviews of cool new books, like in the reviews section Aaron writes for TG.
• Browse at my fave book stores or libraries.

What are you reading right now? If you have a book recommendation for other TGs, tell us in the comments!

Have a fun weekend!
Claire xo

Hey TGs!

Straight up, I've gotta say... SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT. 
If you've been waiting for Descendants 2 (you so have) - like, maybe you read about it in the August issue of Total Girl with Dove Cameron on the cover - have I got the scoop for you!

I saw Descendants 2 at the Sydney premiere yesterday. Here are some cool things about this premiere: 



1. They gave us delish shiny red toffee apples. I'm going to share mine around in slices at TGHQ.
2. They also gave away these personalised hats! I saw TG friend Ange from Little Angel with her sisters at the premiere and they got their own cool hats. Super stylin'. 
3. Some actors in great costumes (studded pink leather jacket? Um, yes please!) came out and danced for us live before the screening. Backflips and everything!



BUT what about the movie, I hear you ask...

It's just plain fun. The dancing is amazing - just wait for the jaw-dropping finale. I also love the songs. 'The Space Between', a duet for Mal and Evie, is a song about how even if you and your friend realise you belong in different places, you can still find a place in the middle where you can belong together. It was beautiful.

Descendants 2 is also quite hilar in places. Also, love that OTT fashion. Evie, who is my kinda gal, wears something like three accessories around her neck at any moment: some sort of red bling over a wide choker in deep blue with a bejewelled red choker. Ah-Ma-ZING. 

Dove and everyone else is looking a little more grown up and we get a sense that she's struggling with her identity. Will the soon-to-be King, Ben, like her for who she really is? Let's hope so, because trying REALLY hard to be something she's not in pastel Auradon is really getting her down. When she runs back to the Isle of the Lost, because it feels more like home than high-stress Auradon, Uma, daughter of Ursula (China Anne McClain) has decided to stir up all sorts of trouble. 

I think we're going to see a lot more of China Anne. Her singing voice is too good - it's powerful and she can really belt it. She's such a strong presence on the screen and is the perfect anti-heroine to face off against Mal. 

But wait... how do you have anti-heroines when your heroine is a villain? [insert thinking face emoji here]. I mean Uma is our main baddie but I ended up feeling quite sorry for her.

That's all I wanna reveal for now. To read interviews with the Descendants 2 cast, grab your copy of Total Girl's August issue with Dove on the cover. And catch Descendants 2 on July 28 at 6.30pm on Disney Channel. 

Are you going to tune in? Who's your fave character? Let me know in the comments!
Claire xo

Hey TGs,

How was your weekend? I did two things on my weekend: indoor rock climbing; and watching Spider-Man: Homecoming at a special screening. I guess they're kinda related, huh? Only I don't have any crazy-cool powers and being able to scale a wall all the way to the ceiling is about as good as it gets for me. Spidey in this flick can crawl his way across a celing - so handy if you need to be stealthy.

I should say at this point this Marvel movie is for older TGs.


Do you like my cool Spider-Man stance? Pretty cool, huh?

OK, back to the movie. OMTG, it's just plain fun. It's hilar, well-written and the latest Spidey, Tom Holland, actually has super powers IRL. Well, kind of - he played Billy Elliot on stage in London. Billy Elliot, a character in a musical of the same name, is a boy who discovers his amazing talent for ballet. Tom, with his background in dance and acrobatics, can flip all over the place without breaking a sweat. 

His character is sweet, geeky and vulnerable. There's lots of joy in watching him figure out how to be a superhero, I guess because it would be like that for us as well - even if you're talented, you've got to take your talents out for a spin, and sometimes you fly, and other times you go splat. He does both. 

But I have to mention Michelle - that's the character played by TG fave Zendaya. Can't give you any spoilers but I will say she's nearly unrecognisable and a very different sort of Z from the one you see on the small screen. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming is in cinemas on July 6. Are you going to see it? Let me know in the comments!

Hey TGs!

It's not every day you go down to the mall and see a TG cover star, but today was one such day! Remember TG's May cover with Katy on it. Well, I just saw Katy in the flesh!




I got an invite to come cover Katy Perry's appearance at Myer in Sydney. Perhaps you were there too? There were HEAPS of KatyCats there. We spent what felt like ages getting hyped and they played us a lot of songs. You know that feeling when the bassline shakes the room and makes your heart beat in time with the music? It was like that. 

Then! OMTG! Finally, the moment came - Katy appeared in a shower of glitter out of a confetti canon, I think. She had her hair short and blonde and spiky and she was in a cool, blue jacket. 



And here's what was said: 

• Katy will tour to promote Witness, her new album, in July-August next year. 
• Myer is boosting her tour by giving away 8,000 tickets! Whoa! Crazy, huh? And I'm pretty sure they said each winner would get four tickets! And if my maths holds up, that means 2,000 chances to win! Myer has the deets on how you win exactly so if you want to do this, it's best to suss it out through the store - don't forget to ask Mum and Dad if you can if you want to. 
• Katy said her goal in Australia is to eat as many meat pies as possible! Haha! I wonder whether she likes potato pies; those are my fave. 
• Katy reminisced about the time she wore her hair in a black and white 'do and she had to smile through her tears because there were so many pins and they were hurting her. 
• She likes Tim Tams. 
• She thinks Australia is a fun, chilled out place. 
• She says in her new album, you can hear her progression and how she's gotten a little more grown up. "There's purpose in everything I do... [I make[ better choices and I'm more present," she said. 
• Naturally when she tours, she'll play all the jams you love, plus new ones too. 
• The show will be very bright and colourful, with heaps of escapism "because the world is a strange place". 
• She's got her own range of shoes out and they smell like watermelon!
• Tickets are out on July 19 through Ticketek. KatyCats, are you going to her shows? Let me know in the comments!

Oh... and here are the tour dates in case you're wondering!

• 07/24/2018 PERTH, WA PERTH ARENA 
• 07/30/2018 ADELAIDE, SA ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 
• 08/02/2018 MELBOURNE, VIC ROD LAVER ARENA 
• 08/03/2018 MELBOURNE, VIC ROD LAVER ARENA 
• 08/08/2018 BRISBANE, QLD BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 
• 08/13/2018 SYDNEY, NSW QUDOS BANK ARENA 
• 08/14/2018 SYDNEY, NSW QUDOS BANK ARENA 

OMTG, you guys, I think I just set a record for myself in terms of epic movie watching! Yesterday, I saw TWO special screenings of cool coming flicks just so I could report back on what's good! (Also, because I am a fan. But mostly to report back!)




I kicked off in the morning with The Boss Baby. Now, I only have an older sister, so I don't know what it feels like to see Mum and Dad come home with a brand new baby - apparently, you feel kinda jelly! And to make matters worse for Tim Templeton, our hero, his new kid brother is... um... a little weird. I mean, he's in a tiny business suit, he can talk (in Alec Baldwin's voice) and he wants to eat sushi! Something's most def up with him and Tim can't wait to figure out what it is so he can hopefully regain his parents' undivided love and attention. 

My fave things about this flick: It includes the most heart-melting puppy EVER. I mean EVER. Also, because of Tim's oversized imagination, there are some truly cray cray moments and it really is totes hilar. 
That said: there's a bit of gross-out humour, which isn't really my jam. Just a warning in case you're eating something soft or squishy while watching!

Next up in the afternoon - The LEGO Batman Movie! Since I was a massive fan of The LEGO Movie, I figured this one would rock my socks and it totally did! For starters, look who I got to meet!! How cool do we look together as a crime-fighting squad?! Big props to the cool people behind this flick for putting on so much fun stuff in the arvo - from face-painting to caricatures to cool LEGO stickers and masks and activities on the seats. 



This flick's about LEGO Batman, the hero of Gotham City, even though, well, he clearly hasn't actually banished crime from Gotham at all! Turns out a life of a crime-fighting billionaire can be kinda lonely when you're all holed up in the Batcave with a microwave dinner. Enter Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Robin - a lonely orphan with massive, cute eyes - will he and Batman discover they're actually the crime-fighting fam the world needs?

My fave things about this flick: The visuals! As with the first LEGO movie, it's a bricky, blocky, colourful feast for the eyes. I also really dig Rosario Dawson's Batgirl (or Barbara Gordon when not in costume), as well as the too-cute Harley Quinn. The insane, funny nature of this movie is perfect for fans of superhero flicks too.
That said: Batman is hilariously self-centred and so focused on being a cool, tough guy that I guess he's just not as sweet as Emmet, our hero in The LEGO Movie. But does a softie secretly lurk under that tough-guy exterior? It might...

The Boss Baby is in cinemas from 23 March.
The LEGO Batman Movie is in cinemas from 30 March.
Check out the current issue of TG with Emma Watson on the cover for a 'How to draw LEGO Batman' guide, plus a poster of Batgirl!

 

Hi TGs!

Are you excited about Beauty and the Beast? I DEFINITELY am. So much so that, at the time of writing, I have seen it twice! OMTG!

The first time was with Aaron and Abbey. The second time was last night, at the Australian premiere! Heaps of fans had lined up on the street to watch everybody arrive at the State Theatre. It was all done up in special enchanted sparkles. Some gold-painted people were dressed up as candelabras so it was like the furniture had come to life! And there were lots of roses - like, collections of rose crystal jewellery and roses on the red carpet.

Here I am standing on the red carpet!


Here I am in front of this magic mirror. 

An awesome girl who looked wonderful was dressed up as Belle! Here she is. 


Here's what happened when I tried to selfie with her. 

Very ineffective! I am too short! Haha!

Once we got inside the theatre, we got to see one of the stars of the film! Josh Gad, whose voice should be very familiar as he's Olaf, plays LeFou, Gaston's hilar sidekick. He told us the funniest thing that happened to him on set involved one of the many horses in the film. His horse was called Buddy, "but it was no buddy of mine!". Buddy was supposed to walk beside Josh along with Luke Evans (who plays Gaston) and his own horse. But Buddy was having none of it! Instead of going for a nice walk, Buddy decided to head backwards, then to bolt through the village! Even the horse's trainer started to laugh because he'd never seen anything like that before!

He recorded a message of us all greeting Luke Evans on this phone AND treated us to a brief sing-a-long sesh of 'Gaston' the song. Which, by the way, is one of funniest bits of the movie. 

But how was the movie? I can tell you right now you'll go to sleep singing the songs to yourself and you'll sigh for days over how stunning and gorgeous and magical it is. I know I am! Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme... 

Tell me in the comments about whether you think you're gonna heart it!

xo Claire

Beauty and the Beast is in cinemas from March 23.
Total Girl with Emma Watson on the cover is on sale Monday March 13.

 

Hey TGs, happy International Women's Day! Here are three cool things to do today:

1. Get pumped on what you and other women and girls have achieved!
2. Get inspired by your fave females, whether real, fictional, historical or current! There are SO many. 
3. Combine your powers with other women and girls - if you band together, who knows what you'll achieve. 

Today, just for Women's Day, here's a spesh online-only Real-Life Read. Lisy Kane, a Melbourne-based games producer, is pretty ah-mazing so I thought you might like to read all about her! She spoke to TG to coincide with the release of Barbie Video Game Hero, in which Barbie is a coder!


My family had a laptop when I was young, a really old one, and we played a lot of video games. I was fascinated with how they worked and didn’t realise they were made by humans – real people! I wanted to create things and made things like pinball machines out of old cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, and marbles! They worked! They weren't great, but I enjoyed putting them together.

These days, I even make games outside of work - I take part in Game Jam and do behind the scenes stuff. For Global Game Jam, I did some audio coding. I make music on the side! I’m always making stuff.

Making games, you get to work with amazing people. In my role as a producer, I get to see everything – I get to see the code happening, I get to see the art being drawn. I’m the least artistic person in the team! But I love seeing these worlds being created. That’s what I love most about video games. A game I’m working on is a complete fantasy world filled with animals. I get to see that world being put together every day! 


As a producer, I make sure the directors, coders, designers and artists all know what they’re doing so we can hit our release date! I got started doing IT in high school, then I studied game design and business at uni. I did work experience at a game studio while i was at uni. I didn’t know games were made in Australia, I thought they were all made overseas in big studios in America. But there are a lot of studios in Australia making games.

If you want to get involved in making games, play lots of games! All types - and then think about why they're fun to use. You can explore work experience at a game studios – see if you can talk to them and ask for advice. Most will be extremely happy and helpful if you reach out to them. Look for free tools like Stencyl so you can make your own games! You don't have to code, you can drag and drop. Play around and make games with your friends - that's even more fun.

The industry of games and tech is mostly male, which means one type of story is being told. Bringing more people, especially girls and women, means more stories will be told. So we need more women to enter the games industry and make cool games for me to play!

Hi TGs!

OK, weird confession time - I LOVE containers. You guys, I have a LOT of containers. 
By 'containers' I mean anything that can hold another thing: lots of tins, boxes, pouches, handbags, folders... you name it. Sometimes my friends make fun of me for loving containers so much, but maybe they should think about a world with NO containers!!! Terrible, right? All your stuff would be EVERYWHERE. 

Rant over. Did you know today's new mag day for TG? You can get your very own March issue with Tay on the cover right now. And newsstand copies all come with a super adorbs exclusive TG pencil case! I LOVE them. 

BTW, there's two to collect: one with a cactus print (BEST) and one with an icy pole print (ALSO BEST). My fave is probs the cactus, though. 

So here's what I can fit into mine: 
TG March mag
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life textas
Typo pen that's also a fan (sooo good in the heatwave)
Cool mirror that looks like a perfume bottle
Tokidoki stamp
My TG watch
Glitter glue
Hair elastics
Cute lil doll of Steven from Steven Universe, which I got this morn from TG friend Deeny (she works at TG's brother mag, K-Zone).

BTW, if you're wondering what's up with the hearts in the background, those are the REALLY COOL heart notes you can pull out of the middle of the mag. YAASSS.

Tell me - which pencil case is your jam - cactus print or icy poles? What can you fit into yours? 

xo TG's Claire



* Contents of pencil case for illustrative purposes only. Free with the March issue of Total Girl, newsstand copies only.