MD124 - Sarah Atwood’s Mahalo Daily: Hula Dancing
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 Mahalo VLOGIdol Competition! |
After Mahalo VLOG Idol and The Bachelon, we were left with six finalists in the search for the new host of Mahalo Daily. Today Sarah Atwood takes a swing at the prize, by having the chance to produce and host her very own Mahalo Daily. Her topic? Hula Dancing down in Long Beach, California. Help us make our decision by leaving comments on http://www.mahalodaily.com
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Tags: dancing, hawaii, hula, hula dancing, mahalo, mahalodaily, sarah atwood
May 19th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Decent episode but very low energy. I don’t think this showed off Sarah’s personality and why she is the best choice for Mahalo Daily host. Speaking of Mahalo Daily host, in the credits, the Mahalo Daily sign still says Veronica Belmont.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:31 am
I think Sarah chose an interesting topic and she found a fascinating woman to discuss it with.
I am surprised though that (a) they didn’t go outside for the interview and (b) they didn’t dance. It just felt a bit odd and static. It would have been really great to see Sarah and her guest stand up and dance.
That said, her guest was clearly comfortable with Sarah. I’m sure Sarah had a lot to do with putting her at ease.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Hmmmm, kinda boring. This doesn’t have the feel of a typical Mahalo Daily episode. I appreciate the sincerity of this episode though.
My vote still goes to Leah…
May 19th, 2008 at 2:06 am
Very low energy, just didn’t grab me. And she really lost me from the start with the ‘Yaaaaay.’ And the first question “WHERE did it start” just struck me as a bad question - HOW or WHY would make more sense. And then the bit from C&C Music Factory (”Everybody Dance Now”) was jarringly inappropriate to the tone and topic, IMHO.
This actually felt like the weakest of the four so far. The guest was great, she seemed like a very interesting person. It also seemed odd that Sarah didn’t stand to dance.
So far for me it is Michelle -> Leah -> Nadine -> Sarah
May 19th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Atwood is great. True this episode was low energy, but does everything these days need to be in your face, tear you cloths off crazy? (dont answer that)
I think the subject matter fit with the tone of the interview. It is sad to me that some may miss out on the brilliance which is Sarah because she didnt stand and dance. Come on people?!?!
I cant believe this is still going on? Vote Atwood and be done.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I think it was really cool episode!! The show is called Mahalo Daily what better topic to cover than Hula Dancing!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Loved it! Very nice, I like her.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Since the start of Mahalo Vlog Idol, I’ve been looking up the contestants. Sarah Atwood is the complete package. Writing and on screen work.
The episode was interesting. Before watching I couldn’t have cared less about hula and now I have a small appreciation of it and more importantly, I have a lot more information about it.
Jim Kirks it right, “Vote Atwood and be done.”
May 19th, 2008 at 2:38 am
I was very bored with this episode. Really just repeating what a lot have said already. What really annoyed me was how fake her “yay” was when asked if she got the name right. She could have done a lot better =\
May 19th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I think Sarah is definitely the best! Very cute, lovable, would just want to keep watching!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Sarah has my vote.
1. Sara’s choice of topic was brilliant.
Which other contestant has a topic more relevant than this to Mahalo?
“Oh Mahalo for coming” says the interviewee naturally without prompting -
and the topic is hula dancing - where the company name Mahalo comes from!
2. Other contestants lectured to the audience, posed for the camera,
had their interviewees pose for the camera or speak to it, there was poor
or no interaction between interviewee or interviewer, there were talking heads,
action was chopped in and did not fit into the flow of the show, etc……..
Sara welcomed the audience in quickly then got to the point - the story!
keeping full control unobtrusively and focussed on facilitating the best story
possible.
She actively engaged the person, good eye contact, interacted, led with
questions and suggested activities, set them at ease, was friendly and natural,
not self-conscious, hilarious sense of humor and funny faces, made it fun.
Sarah had a beginning, middle and end and outtake joking at the end showing
all interaction went well.
3. Sarah’s choice of costume, setting, positioning, framing of the picture all excellent.
Sarah begins in front of a fountain for interest and depth.
Sarah wears a pastel flowing outfit with lei that sets the tone for the story.
Sarah varies position of herself and interviewee, and backgrounds.
Interviewee on right - same level.
Interviewee on left raised with Sarah in student position at her feet on floor.
Sarah raised level on right when actively speaking to interviewee.
Shots of hula pictures at start and in background in interview for interest.
Shots on horizontal couch giving depth to picture frame and focus on people.
4. Sarah gives opportunities for interviewee to shine, be interesting, and show action.
Prepared question to show the instruments and demonstrate them for action.
Invites interviewee to teach her how to make hula moves.
5. Sarah understands the topic at hand well - right to the point and chooses an appropriate method to present the topic.
“Hands are the most important aspect of hula because they tell a story”
comes up in the text onscreen - so instead of going for “sex appeal” to win the contest and have half naked dancing bodies she chooses meaning over flash and focusses the interview in closeup so we can see and appreciate hands and the content of what is being shared about hula in a genuine and not crass commercial way. Sarah is brave, no quick fix or selling out to commercialism, she does the job as it deserves no matter what the risk.
6. Sarah is animated, personable and fun to watch.
Immediately she welcomes you into her story with a smile and a let’s go and see together, a sharing of “my idea” to learn about hula.
She laughs with the interviewee not at them, she laughs at herself learning the hand movements making the interviewee relaxed and more animated.
Sarah leads a good sit down story out of something that could have been a
let’s stand and watch the teacher place my hands right, or a talking heads history of hula in Hawaii - thank you Sarah for bringing the topic to life!
7. Sarah always does a good job, her best, using all her experience and knowledge, improving as she goes and it is always interesting - and her best is pretty darned great! What more could you ask of a Mahalo host?
May 19th, 2008 at 2:50 am
She gets my vote. I agree with Valz, but the biggest thing for me is that this has hands down been the most informative and honest vid yet. I really liked it.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:06 am
wow valz thanks for taking the time to writeup such a nice comment!
go sarah!
May 19th, 2008 at 3:13 am
The thing that I like most about Sarah is that she seems approachable which is not to be discounted. So many personalities in media fail because they don’t seem like someone you could carry on a conversation with. IMO many of the great successes of traditional media are those who you’d like to have as a neighbor. Sarah seems to have a sweetness and an innocence that makes her very approachable.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Here Comes A Judge
May 19th, 2008 at 3:17 am
It was interesting that despite the fact that it was about dancing, we never saw any dancing - like others doing an actual dance (I got excited when she started playing the instruments, but it ended up no where.
Also I felt like the editing wasn’t quite the same on this one? It felt… a little off. That could be because I’m doing quite a bit myself recently, but it wasn’t quite there.
Well spoken interview otherwise.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:19 am
To clarify my position - I think it was post-production that let her down in this one, rather than her interviewing skills, but from what I understand they produce their own work.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:25 am
Hey all, as you can probably see from Loren’s video comment above we just added Seesmic video comments.
Even if you don’t have a seesmic account you can still record a video. Please keep them appropriate and tasteful!
Look for the link below the comments box to get started
May 19th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Sarah in the ‘08 for Mahalo
May 19th, 2008 at 3:40 am
She is HOTTTTTTTT
May 19th, 2008 at 3:47 am
I like Sarah and her skills. I’d happily continue to subscribe to Mahalo Daily were she selected.
There are times when energy is required, however given the interviewee, It didn’t seem to me that this was one of them. I was quite interested that the tutor was sitting to teach. I appreciated Sarah’s sensitivity to an older woman.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:47 am
testing seesmic on mahalodaily.com
May 19th, 2008 at 3:59 am
I would have liked to see clips from the interviewee’s class, or clips of her demonstrating the dance while standing, but other than that I thought this was fantastic. I like how it felt like a conversation instead of an interview. I especially appreciated that Sarah wasn’t forcing the pace by incessantly interjecting with jokes. I could picture a couple of the other girls saying “Mahalo! Like the name of our show! HAR HAR!”
Right now, my top two are Sarah and Leah, but their styles seem so different. If there’s another round, I’d like to see Leah tackling a topic like this one, and Sarah with a subject like capoeira.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:03 am
responses
May 19th, 2008 at 4:05 am
Sarah gets points for coming up with an “appropriate” thing to interview about for Mahalo Daily. Her interview skills were pretty good too, and she definitely comes off as likable.
However this was by far the slowest MD I’ve yet seen. The interview went well, but it was so quiet and low key. It had a very “Charlie Rose” feel to it. The C&C music factory bit was funny, but cut too short to take full effect. Like others here, I was hoping for them to go outside, or at least perform the hula dance standing up. It gave off the impression of being lazy. I want a more upbeat host for Mahalo Daily.
It was a good try Sarah, but I feel that it could have been much better.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:18 am
I really like her, but I think this episode was very low energy. In fact, I was struggling to stay awake. I would have liked to see some more of her personality. Unfortunatly, I also think it was the person she was interviewing that kept the tone very quiet.
Other than that, I think she has good skills :-) If I had to choose today though, Nadine would be my girl! Shes sexy, funny and oh, sexy.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:22 am
ok, Sorry about that Sarah… You are sexy and funny too… And honestly, I think you have an awesome last name… I mean how many people get to use a symbol?? Night!
May 19th, 2008 at 4:24 am
Now that was boring…
The subject was good I think, but it was a bit strange not to see anyone dancing on an episode on that topic. Plus the interviewing skills are not that good at the moment I think.
Of course you can work on that, so this could become much better in the future, but for the moment Leah’s still my favourite.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Sarah has my vote! There’s a real-ness about Sarah. She comes across as someone easy to relate to and laugh with. She has shown versatility in her ability to match her energy to the episode. I saw high energy in her “Man on the Street” video and in this one an engaging, informative one-on-one interview on a Mahalo related topic. This girl is the smart choice.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Yay Sarah!
May 19th, 2008 at 4:30 am
The guest was articulate and interesting but something was missing. Not a favorite.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:30 am
I wanted to add that Leah is in the running for me because her show impressed me so much that it was the first time I saw her as a potential host, and wanted to see more of her. I’ve seen Sarah in a number of shows and already know how good she is as a host. One of the great advantages Sarah has over Leah is that she’s already established in the twitter/blog/hate the term, but overall web 2.0 community.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:47 am
This was awful. I wouldn’t mind any of the previous three, but this would ruin MD. The interview was appallingly bad, from the expressions on her face while the instruments were displayed, to the huge number of distracting edits (either she screwed up all the time, or she couldn’t get a succinct interview done - either way it’s her fault as the host).
May 19th, 2008 at 5:43 am
@wood FTW!!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Sorry to say but this was the the most boring episode so far. I couldn’t even finish to watch it, the music made me so sleepy… Lack of energy!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:05 am
well, for me sarah brings charm and down to earth-iness in this video. with regard to the rest of the voting, sarah’s the only one who has a presence in the online community and actually understands the tools and the tech that make web shows happen. she’s got my vote!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Great Job! I really enjoyed the episode & interview. I know that we are supposed to be judging the hosts here, but shouldn’t a good episode let the topic shine? I found the interviewee to be really cool and an obvious wealth of information about Hula dancing. I thought Sarah successfully guided the interview without overpowering the guest. Well done, Sarah! Plus, how cute was she in a lei?? Anyone who follows Sarah online knows she is versatile and enthusiastic. How has she not won this thing already?? I’m happy to finally see normalish episodes of the Mahalo Daily again. Pick Sarah FTW and let’s get back to the regular shows.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Not a bad, a bit low energy though. A decent attempt. Not much else I can say. Leah is still in the lead for me!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Why does her face look like she is scraping dog poop from her shoes?
I noticed this several times during the video.
Otherwise, it was ok.
Sarah is very sweet looking, just watch your facial movements.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:40 am
What a clever interview….Mahalo!!!! Very upbeat and informative. Sarah had the courtesy to let the interviewee be the star…with her cute little body, I’m sure Sarah could have stolen the show with a sexy hula, but that is not what we are voting for. She is an excellent host.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:48 am
A good attempt, but not anywhere near as good as the first three. Sarah has experience but it hasn’t really showed much in this or the last round. I think that her web presence and her RABID fan base is the only reason the judges decided to put her through to this round.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Quite simply there are old VB episodes that I will always remember, Sarah’s excellent here and this is an episode that I won’t forget. I can barely remember the first three contestants already and I can’t remember their interviewee’s at all, which speaks to Sarah’s power to let the subject matter come forward.
As for the “Dance” comments above, I am sure if Sarah is chosen, just like there where episodes of Mahalo that had a VB focus we could get a more Sarah focused piece (and I have no doubt that “sexy”, “dancing”, etc) could be in her strengths, but she seems to be able to do both.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 am
No
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I have mixed emotions about this one. I really really REALLY like Sarah, but I really wasn’t too moved by this episode. I thought it was low energy (yes, I know, not everything has to be in your face and all, but still) and she didn’t seem enthused about the subject.
This felt a bit “clinical.” Mahalo is lighthearted, fun, and relaxed, and this seemed to miss all three of those. I like Sarah, but I don’t know if this will be enough to move her into the next round.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Very low energy….why did Sarah not use a more ‘topic appropriate’ setting for the interview. It would have been nice to see a more diverse group of hula dancers to talk with. She should probably pack her bags.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Bad bad.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Very nice choice of topic, the interview was great. I don’t think there was low energy, since the topic didn’t quite allow a more energetic posture.
She is really cute and the clothing was great ! Didn’t get to see much of a clothing that matched the interview topic. It sort of sets a sinergy.
Still, i didn’t enjoy the part where she presents her topic. Could be a bit more… humble maybe ?
Also, if Kalua did get to dance properly herself (even in fastforward) would be interesting.
Right now i’m between Leah and Sarah.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:28 am
vote @wood
May 19th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I thought it was boring. The topic wasn’t very interesting to me.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:47 am
The fact that she is established in the web community doesn’t mean that she would make a good host. Maybe she could work behind the scenes, but she just doesn’t have it. I wasn’t engaged in this piece at all.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Leah is still the front runner. @wood showed good skills, but I couldn’t see that “something more” that made me really enjoy the times Leah was in action.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I found it a little dull. Her accent is kind of irritating also.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:08 am
The subject was covered well and gave some good information. Only complaint was that they didn’t stand for the dancing. Sarah has my vote.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Michelle Hummel, who did the Go-Kart Racing, is the best so far.
With any Idol competition, choice of song/act/whatever is CRUCIAL. You gotta show your talents. There’s plenty of time to do episodes on “what Mahaolo’s all about” later.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I thought very cool, I totally got the energy feedback thing she discussed in her seesmic. As a host, confident, quirky, and je ne sais quoi-y. The episode seemed less TV-ish than Leah’s, for me that was a plus.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Love it!!! Nice work :)
May 19th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Very boring, I actually skipped through this one. I like action…you talk about dance, do some dancing girl!
May 19th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Clever topic she selected considering the show has a Hawaiian name (grin). However, I enjoyed her interview, and think she did a good job. The pace, control and participation was spot on. I would like to see another interview by her with someone of a more dynamic personality to see how she maintains control.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Good job Sarah!! Keep up the good work :)
http://mahalo.connectedgeek.net/2008/05/12/mahalo-vlogidol-finalists-were-almost-done-but-are-we/
May 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Hula was an interesting topic, and although the mellowness did flow well w/ the topic, I don’t feel as though Sarah engaged the audience enough. To her credit, the interviewee was a laid back person who spoke very slowly, but yeah I think my vote still goes to Leah.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Hot chick, nice feet. Boring video. Whatever the issue may be, it was a bit boring.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:43 am
The best so far.
true, she is’nt a “babe” like the others, but she is, in my opinion, the smartest and the one that i relate to the most.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Best episode yet! So much better than the last two competitors with all that fighting. This one was fun and sexy. It really shows that Sarah would be an excellent host, cute, smart and a little geeky, just like we like ‘em.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I liked the topic, though I’d like to see the contestants take on something a bit more geeky. We definitely can appreciate that they are all pretty and are very hip (for lack of a better word). More technical subjects could be a good way to separate the crowd.
I think Sarah has a cool attitude about her. She truly feels like one of your cool friends, which is sort of the appeal of VB. Her vibe is so different from the other contestants that I feel like I need to see more from her before any sort of endorsement. That said I really was not impressed by this interview. It lagged through the description of the props that were never used latter, so they were kind of a tangent. The dance was fine and kind of cute (the seated thing didn’t bother me). The episode was crazy choppy (lots of cuts). Sarah had odd facial expressions during the interview. The intro and closing were okay, but not outstanding. I think Sarah could do a lot better.
I still prefer Leah by a sizable margin, but I’d like to see Sarah in the next round if there is one. My rankings for now:
1) Leah
2) Sarah and Michelle
3) Nadine
May 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
The interview was well organized and flowed smoothly from start to finish. Sarah and her guest seemed at ease and very natural. I thought Sarah’s questions and direction were exactly right for the topic and her guest.
Sarah gets my vote
May 19th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
This is a very tough assignment and I think Sarah pulled it off with candor, grace, and wit. Having spent a lot of time in Hawaii, you can’t just barge into a Hula school and act like it’s a nightclub. It’s a very serene environment that requires a ton of respect and dignity and I think that Sarah walked the line of respect and interest perfectly. She was obviously having a good time, and able to make the subject interesting (or at least appear interesting), while still being respectful of those granting their time. Great job Sarah! You’ve got my vote!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Great!!! Awesome!!! and also Appropriate!!! Sarah knows how to give a proper interview! Rather than steamroll her guest with an over abundance of energy and a “look at me” attitude, she puts her focus on the guest!! After all, the episodes are not about the “host”, they are about the interviewee and the topic which they bring to the table. Sarah handles this perfectly… She meets her guest with the same level of energy that is being put out… which, in the case of her topic, HULA DANCING, seems very appropriate for such a relaxing dance.
For you viewers who have attention problems and need your ego constantly bombarded by action and in your face antics… well, this was edited perfectly with a little C and C Music Factory to shock the senses. Just a taste of the familiar song was just right…
Out of all of the contestants, Sarah is the best choice and gets my vote… She’s shown versatility and proven that she deals with people extremely well… (For those that wanted to see more energy from her… look back at her street interviews on 3rd Street Promenade… she can give plenty of energy. That just wasn’t appropriate for this episode… and ummm…. hello, a topic that connects with the title of the show… why didn’t anyone else think of that? Oh, yeah… because they’re not the best choice for this show…. Sarah Atwood is!!!!! Sarah Atwood is what you need in a host and once again, she’s getting my vote!!!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Pretty slow and boring. Why did we not get to see her,uh, dancing? Sarah seems very nice, but did not have the feel of a Mahalo Daily episode.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Further proof that Sarah can handle pretty much any topic/interviewee you throw at her. She was able to adapt to the instructor’s interview style and play off her motherly personality without coming across as obnoxious or disrespectful.
To address some of the comments about this being a “boring” interview — that has less to do with Sarah and more about the editing and camera placement. Great job Sarah!! Just offer her the gig already!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I think Sarah is awesome. She is not low energy, she was exactly what the interview called for - not to mention that her respectful, yet enthusiastic manner was a perfect reflection for her guest. The interview was informative, and exactly what was needed to pique the viewer’s interest. I say that we give hula dancing another episode and then show the full body dancing!!! I know she would be totally cool with it! This interview set the stage for Hula -part II - let’s see more of her! There are TV network hosts that would rather hear themselves spout off than be a good listener. Sarah is a great host, a good listener, appeals to a wider audience than just some bubbly over the top, fast talking host.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I thought the video was interesting and Sarah’s personality shone thru beautifully. It wasn’t an instructional video on how to hula but a research piece on the background of hula. Very informative, good flow and well worth watching.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I really like Sarah, but this video wasn’t the best. In fact the woman Sarah interviewed was a bit creepy. I understand her motivation behind choosing a Hawaiian topic but it just didn’t work here. I’d love to see more from Sarah before passing total judgment even though I’m not the decision maker. I’d put her second behind Leah. I still think Leah is the one to beat so far.
Sarah has a genuine quality about her that really shines through. In fact it is the only reason I put her in second place so far. I’d tune in to see Sarah daily.
So far here is my pecking order of contestants:
1) Leah
2) Sarah
3) Nadine
4) Michelle
Only 2 more to go. I expect HUGE things out of Andrea. As for Kristina I LOVE her look. Very cool but I don’t think she has much personality. Hopefully she can prove me wrong.
I hope Mahalo only eliminates one person a week. I’d love for this thing to drag on. It’s fun!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Sarah has a very natural, real, presence. She does not come across like a “performer”. She’s very pleasant to watch. Her topic was interesting and informative, like an interview with a friend, a dear aunt. Kudos and congratulations for Ms. @wood.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I really enjoyed this episode, the complaints of low energy don’t surprise me… but I like a good range. I know Sarah can do excited and energetic… most people can jump around and be energetic and entertaining… it was good to see her doing something more mellow and subdued while remaining entertaining… that’s a lot more difficult and is something that not everyone can do.
My vote is for Sarah!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Sarah didn’t do it for me. I know she’s big out there and has a lot of fans, but I agree with the above comments that this was a boring episode. Not low-energy exactly, more like low-key. She was interviewing a very mellow person, and she came right down to that vibe herself. I very much agree that we needed some standing, dancing, outside shots, SOMETHING to pep this episode up. Decent interviewing skills, I wouldn’t mind her, but so far I’m still for Leah.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
It’s not that she did a bad job, it’s just that Leah and Michelle did much better. This was a poor choice of topic, considering that the strength of the show could make or break the host. Another important aspect of a host is knowing what kind of content will appeal to the viewers, and I for one was ready to tune out after the first couple of minutes. I can only assume she was expecting more Tahiti-style dancing which would have been a higher energy topic.
This is why it’s a good idea to eliminate one host at a time, so we have a chance to evaluate them based on more than one topic.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
On a more positive note, points for Sarah responding here in the thread.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
It’s up to the host to pick an interesting topic, make it work and engage the viewer.
How anyone can say this piece was interesting is beyond me. I’m curious…how was this entertaining?
Sarah seemed to fumble with the delivery of her questions, which makes me nervous to watch and then I get embarassed and want to log off.
To address the fact that she’s a bit geeky…why would you want a geeky host?
I’m here to be entertained, educated and I want a reason to come back to the site.
You know who the clear winner is.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
ZZzzzzzzz.
Oops, I fell asleep. This episode was totally boring!
Sarah is cute, but she just isn’t Mahalo Daily material. Perhaps she could host Arts and Crafts Daily, Quilting Daily, or Bunko Daily.
A NO vote from me.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
This Chick Is Dull
May 19th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
That was slow. I understand the need to be low key if the interviewee is low key, but even besides that… boring. Also most people know hula as a dance where you stand up. so even if you learn by sitting you still could have done some of it standing. or explain in the video, not a post after, that “this is how you first learn hula.” Another thought would be to show some clips of hula dancers as wipes from segment to segment instead of the flash. Going off of this episode i would not put Sarah in the top three.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
What I love about Sarah is that she’s completely immersed in the online community, knows how to rally the troops, and is responsive — (awesome how she’s involved in this discussion). She’s natural and exudes authenticity and just seems like a girl you would want to hang out and be friends with.
She also has good judgement. She was adaptable to the tone and feel of her interviewee and didn’t try and make it something it wasn’t. She took us along for an authentic ride. Geeky+friendly+approachable+super cute=good fit. ;)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I thought Sarah did an excellent job. After reading some of the replies here before watching the video, I almost expected her to have fallen asleep during the segment or something. I had no problem with her energy level.
I vote for Sarah.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Very disappointing. Energy too low, I wanted to hit the fast forward button. Expected better.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Great Work!!
May 19th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Hmm.. Sorry, but I didn’t feel entertained. Too slow and too little conversation. I caught myself watching the muted commercials on tv instead
May 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Honestly this was the first Mahalo Daily episode where I have found myself genuinely bored, and was very tempted to just close the browser about half way through. I ended up making it all the way through but I thought it was a major disappointment from Sarah who showed a lot of promise in the earlier rounds. I thought the questions were simply bad and it never really felt like Sarah made a connection with the person she was interviewing. As a result it felt awkward to watch. I think a lot of success of Mahalo Daily is due to the energy Veronica brought to the show everyday. This is not to say that something like hula dancing is not a good show topic for Mahalo Daily, but it was critical that Sarah actually got up and danced the hula, not just sat on the floor. I know she said that you learn the hula sitting down, but you have to keep your audience in mind and produce a show that is interesting to watch. Two people sitting on the ground talking is simply not doing it for me.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
it was great! what a pleasant lady!
May 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Why was she sitting down below the lady? If you are dancing you should both be standing. That was annoying.
I liked that this was Hulu dancing. This really takes the Mahalo name, somthing unique no one else has done.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Put her in 3rd in my book…. would be nice to “share” the mike with who she is talking to. Seemed very flat… almost lazy.
You would think with something like Hula, it would be quite fun… we have images in our head, but this interview just felt flat.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I couldn’t even watch it all.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Wow, Sarah rocks! If she’s not the next Mahalo girl, then Mahalo is crazy, it’s gotta be Atwood!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I really enjoyed this episode. Sara was part of the interview from the beginning, where as I got the impression from the other videos that they could have been done by the evening news. Also I’m reading how some are saying it was low energy, we’re talking about hula dancing people. I didn’t find it boring just as I didn’t find Veronica’s “Yoga Squatting” boring. Just like that topic, I thought the topic was unique and not just a typical subject like the others. One more thing that I really love about Sara’s presence, which is what I liked about Veronica and that seems to be missing with the others, she is being herself and is not performing. There’s no fake like big smile, no up and down somewhat phony tone, as when the other videos had narration, also she had no problem with getting comfortable with the guest as if she actually met her before doing the interview. I didn’t get that from the other videos.
My vote is for Sara and I don’t believe I would get bored after a few episodes as I had already gotten bored near the end of the segments of the other Mahalo Idol videos.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Sarah has my vote all the way.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Not what I expected. I actually forwarded the episode to the end after about 3 minutes.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
get rid of her… too boring, not HOT.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Loved her! Thought she did great! I want to see her go all the way! ftw
May 19th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Sarah Atwood has what it takes! She is the only choice for Mahalo Daily. ANYONE else wouldn’t do it for me
May 19th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I enjoyed the episode; it was fun, great topic.
In my mind the mic was on Sarah a little too much (especially when the Hula lady was speaking), and to be honest she seemed a tad uncomfortable.
Looking at the rest of the comments, she seems to have a love-hate thing going on, and oddly I may be the exception; I’m sort of inbetween, but I think there are other people better for the Mahalo Daily show, despite Sarah’s great character :).
Chris
May 19th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
First of all, I like Sarah Atwood overall. I think that people definitely like her overall and she has this cute kinda nerdy but not look to her and all that stuff. Definitely would watch Mahalo Daily if she one.
That being said, I think that right now she’s the weakest link based on this episode. I understand making the energy appropriate to the interviewer and I respect that, but the fact that the others so far picked more exciting things definitely gave them an edge. If this was the first Mahalo Daily I watched I’d probably come back here and there but I likely wouldn’t watch it daily (that’s actually how I feel about Mobuzz; I like Calli Lewis better).
I think the topic was cool but it wasn’t very MD typical. I wouldn’t mind seeing it normally but I don’t think it was the right choice for what’s basically her audition episode. Still, the interviewing skills were strong and she definitely made the interviewee comfortable.
My rankings: Leah, Michelle, Nadine, Sarah. Sorry, Sarah :( I still believe that you’d be a great host though independent of this episode!
May 19th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
yeaaaaaaaay!
noooooooo!
May 19th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Very cute, but not Da Kine Mahalo Daily Hostess.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
This is actually the first person that whose episode I watched all the way through without getting bored and falling asleep or get bored. Yes, Sarah’s energy could have been higher by actually doing a a dance with her teacher, but that will come as she gets more experience. Nice setting very family or homely setting that again could have been offset with her actually dancing. We all know that Veronica would have been there dancing.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Excellent choice of topic for the Moholo Daily. Interesting set. Sarah asked pertinent questions and made the interviewee feels very comfortable. Sarah’s is cute, natural and down-to-earth. My vote definitely goes to Sarah Atwood!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I love…and I mean Love MMA so I was happy with those episode but I know a lot about that stuff, so it was nice to see Sarah did’nt go the spiketv route like the others. You want to see that type of stuff then go to sherdog.com or watch spiketv. The show is suposed to be for everyone not just men. It seems to me that the other contestants were gearing their episodes toward men, and not the general population.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Sarah is a very qualified candidate, but I think they’re all qualified so I have to get picky.
First of all, I think she looks to the camera a lot, almost for validation. I don’t know if she lacks confidence, but I think that whatever the actual situation, the audience gets the impression that she is unsure.
Second of all, I’m not a big fan of the topic and I think the interview skills need work. There were some great questions, but I got the impression (and this may be false) that she was making the questions up on the spot. For any other podcast, she would be great, but against such great competition, I don’t think she’s the strongest candidate.
Again, I could be off on all of that, but I think it is important for the host to be confident and I didn’t get that feeling from Sa
May 19th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
@wood is the most natural and genuine of all the candidates. She’s smart, quirky, cute, and friendly. Not every episode is going to be a frenetic ball of energy and she showed that she can handle a lower-key episode and still come across as engaging and interesting. She also is great at interviewing.
As stated before, vote @wood and be done.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I wanted to say how much I liked Sarah Atwood’s segment. She was really engaging and handled the interview well. So many hosts seem forced and make watching the Q&A painful. Sarah was really great. She seem natural as the host and made the segment fun.
My 2 cents.
Thanks,
Mike
May 19th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Sarah is the best mix of girl-next-door-nerdy-cute-personable-mahalo co-host. Vote for her!
Great job Sarah!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Sarah’s episode had the more professional editing and interview work then the first three. Her topic also provided more information. However while being very comfortable, it was a little low on energy. I would like to see her and Leah come back for another show. Both I think have what it takes, but it hard to predict which is best, with only one show. One more thing. I don’t think Mahalo Daily should be all high energy entertainment. Some should be lots of fun or silly, while others should be more informative. You need a new host that can do both. Leah and Sarah may have the talent, but you need to see a couple of different episodes.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Well, she definitely didn’t talk all over the interviewee….
I think Sarah is very easy to watch. Not the best editing job, short high-energy type audio clips mixed into a very laid-back interview didn’t seem to match up very well.
I hope to see Sarah in the next round, but I don’t know if this was her best work.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
What I like about Sarah is that she comes across quite natural… much in the same way that Veronica did. I like the other girls… and I am confident that they all would do a very nice job, but… Sarah seems real, or comes off that way.
As a viewer… that’s something I really appreciate!
This interview might not seem over the top… but, it’s just one episode! Let’s think long term :-)
Sarah has my vote…
May 19th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Sorry, she didn’t do it for me.
Very nice, and lovely, but the energy was way too low. Need something to keep me “in the vlogcast” from beginning to end. She didn’t do that; I kept wanting to stop the feed.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Sarah seemed very submissive in the interview, didn’t lead the interview. Her mike control seemed inadequate. The facial expressions left me uncomfortable. I didn’t see anything that would make me want to see more in this interview. Leah D’s the choice for me!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
It’s a little ironic that I enjoyed Sarah’s seesmic video more than I did her produced piece.
As she said, the guest was very low-key. It’s hard to do a good interview if the guest is boring. A better guest would have made a huge difference. What do you think of when you think of Hula dancers? (ok, besides the Brady women taking lessons on a Hawaiian beach) You think of exotic, sexy, dancers… right?
I am sure that viewer comments would have been totally different if the setting and energy reflected that.
Sarah also pointed out in her response that it’s common to teach newbies on their knees. I didn’t know that, but I’ll remember it now. I can’t easily recall any information that was included in the produced piece though.
Finally, the outtake at the end of the piece about Jack in the Box showed Sarah’s personality. I liked that.
As someone who did not watch any of the auditions, this produced piece was my first introduction to Sarah. If it was my first time viewing Mahalo Daily, my impressions might be:
1. It’s called Mahalo and the subject is about Hula dancing… This must be a podcast about Hawaiian stuff.
2. It would seem right at home on the retirement community channel. “Look Ma, I think they are holding classes on the Hula in the Rec Center.”
I’ll reserve judgement on whether Sarah is the right person for the job, but like the judges on American Idol seem to be saying about song choice this season, “I don’t think think this performance is one that people are going to remember.”
May 19th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] Or add a Video Comment with « Back to text comment commentReplyId=0; setInterval(”checkCommentReplyChange()”,500); « MD124 - Sarah Atwood’s Mahalo Daily: Hula Dancing [...]
May 19th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I watched Veronica for the same reason I would watch Sarah - she’s very knowledgeable in the community, and she’s very open and easy to talk to. When I watch the other people’s videos, they do a fine job, but I feel like I’m watching a online version of some MTV spring break show… and not an educational and entertaining video-podcast.
Also, if I have to read the words “low energy” one more time :P I’m gonna flip out. One of my favorite online shows is Moblogic - one of the reasons it’s my favorite online shows is because Lindsay doesn’t come across like a pop-culture cheerleader. She is reflective of the topic, like Sarah is reflective mood and pacing-wise with this woman.
I’ve seen Sarah in many of her online projects and know, from what I have seen, that she would really understand this show, really help it grow, help it steer in the right direction (not simply follow the TV formula where it make lead).
I can’t wait to see what Sarah does with her time at Mahalo Daily - and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the people at MD realize her talent and experience make her, by far, the best choice.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:19 am
i thought this episode was really great. i think sarah did a wonderful job. she picked a great topic and was totally in sync with the interviewee. she was respectful and cute. i was left wanting to see more of sarah AND wanting to learn more about hula! i think it is so interesting that the dances are taught while you’re sitting, so that you learn the hand movements first, since that’s what’s most important.
sarah is not fake. she is totally down to earth and real. i love that about her presence in front of the camera. she’s not trying to be a sexy/no brains TV host. they are one of the reasons i don’t watch TV anymore, and why i prefer internet shows.
i want to see more of sarah on mahalo daily. i think she has a great personality and can totally do “high energy” which she showed us in her “man on the street” piece.
go sarah! :)
May 20th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Sarah is adorable! She asked great questions and was very interactive with the special guest. My vote is for Sarah! Love the Jack in the Box comment… :)
May 20th, 2008 at 1:31 am
She’s still not my absolute favorite (I like Leah a bit more) but Sarah is solidly in second place and this show was very good. I love the way she decided to tie in with the Hawaiian theme of the whole site and how the whole episode felt very in tune with how I think about Mahalo. Sarah also did a good job of letting her interviewee speak and move at her own pace. I was confused by the sitting down hula as well, and there were times when Sarah had her whole face turned away from the camera for a bit too long, but overall fantastic job.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:52 am
My vote is for Sarah. Just get rid of the whole silly Idols theme and put her on!
May 20th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Holy Cow, Batman! When I think about all the cool, exciting, arousing and provocative images and sounds that naturally go with the subject of hula dancing and compare all that with Sarah’s entry… I am left dumbfounded, perplexed and perturbed. What was she thinking?!
Tip for Sarah in three words: Hot Polynesian Women! If you’re gonna report on hula dancing, you must include Hot Polynesian Women. Otherwise, don’t bother, you’ll only make the natives angry.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:34 am
One more thing, I just saw Sarah’s Seesmic response in the comments above and I wanted to add this:
As for matching the energy level of your interviewee, you got bad advice. I think for the Mahalo genre of internet video, you must understand what you need from your subjects going in. If this sweet little older lady didn’t have what it takes to be interesting in this medium, or if she was incapable of “cranking it up a notch” in the interview, you must have the professional chops to know when to walk away and come up with another subject.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:52 am
OH COME ON. BORING.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:07 am
Bravo! I thought Sarah shined as an approachable and charming host. What topic could be more appropriate for Mahalo Daily? The Hula instructor was classy and knowledgeable but also laid back. Sarah matched her energy and was genuinely interested in the history and performance of the dance. I think this episode compared to her “man on the street” interviews showed Sarah’s versatility- she can run up to a stranger and talk politics or have a sit down discussion about performance art and they’re both entertaining. Sarah gets my vote!
May 20th, 2008 at 3:21 am
There are some polarities in opinions people are showing re: Sarah that are
maybe not so much about Sarah and how good she is but about where
people stand personally in their assumptions, values, beliefs and perspectives.
I have given examples below that may help clarify issues folks are having, or may not….
What framework is being looked through may determine how a person reacts to Sarah.
That may have nothing to do with how “good” or “skilled” she is at the job as
presumably a bachelors in theatre has given her already core professional competencies
no one else who does not have that can match or beat:
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE is the number one and only important criteria.
EG. it must be sexy, fast-paced, action-packed, and not rock any real boats mentally.
EXAMPLE: Jessica Simpson anywhere in the media during her weekly TV show.
EXAMPLE: Sarah must be dressed and act provacatively at all times when covering a serious topic.
EDUCATION VALUE is the number one and only important criteria.
EG. it must be exactly informative and should not distract with fun.
EXAMPLE: Any subject taught by memorization and rote learning in school.
EXAMPLE: Sarah offends viewers if she shows any creativity, spontaneousness or emotions as they feel wrong.
Fitting TV and MEDIA NORMS is the number one and only important criteria.
EG. it must be condensed and Hollywoodized and impossible for any real human to do.
EXAMPLE: Fez wins a roller skating contest & never skated before on That Seventies Show.
EXAMPLE: Sarah must hula dance using her whole body even though she has one lesson covering the hands only.
Hope it helps. I thought Sarah would do an excellent job also because
of her education and skills as she would be very versatile and able to adjust
to new situations to reach an optimum professional work level and success.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Sarah did a wonderful job. I feel like her guest did all the talking (which is the POINT!), but it would have been nice to hear Sarah talk more. The little she DID say was professional, polite, to the point, and I think she’d make an AWESOME host! YAY @WOOD!
May 20th, 2008 at 4:14 am
I really enjoyed Sarah’s show compared with the previous two. The love her or hate her aspect that the comments have shown towards her can’t be good, though.
As far as mic work, it isn’t so important when you have the guest micced already. I thought it was a smart move.
She’s highly knowledgeable and knows the ins and outs of podcasts and the internet in general. The fact that she came in here and explained why she did this or that shows this. And with the explanation of why she sat in a lower position was something I am glad was explained to me. It makes sense now, but I wasn’t even thinking of it as a sensei/student kind of relationship until Sarah brought it up. Additionally, the fact that she addressed these points to us as adults and without being confrontational or angry at the criticism shows that she has a lot of poise and respect for viewers.
What can I say? I like outtakes. I find them humanizing. It shows me that a host doesn’t take him/herself too seriously. That’s a big plus for me. See: TikiBarTV and GeekBrief.
So far, my order is Leah, followed closely by Sarah, then Nadine, then Michelle.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Not good another less than great performance. I see from comments above her followers from her othre podcasts are trying hard to make her seem like a good choice because she has expeience. I’d say her experience is lacking if not hurting her. Mic work was horible even if the guest was already mic’d. There were a couple of times i could barely hear what she was saying.
Leah still my number 1 choice.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Sara was by far the most engaging. Keep feeding her interesting topics and she’ll nail them all, I’m sure. She has my vote.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I loved Sarah, like she said in her video comment, it’s important for the interviewer to not run over the person their interviewing with too much energy. I really liked this episode and I thought Sarah was much more likable that the rest of the participants.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Nice work, Sarah!
May 20th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Sarah starts off great but seems to lose energy as the interview progresses. But she is very likable and has a good on-camera presence.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I like Sarah and Michelle, something about Sarah Atwood that’s so damn appealing, so cute, the camera loves her. Very calm, composed, and quick on her feet. Overall I could see her on Daily. This interview required her to be more relaxed, due to the nature of the Hula Lady. Anyway, nobody really cares……all have favorites, so I vote……
May 20th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
slow, boaring
May 20th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I’ve got to go with no on this one. Even though the subject was a yawn, she needs to be able to energize the episode.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
snoozer!
She does hula on a couch! What the crap!
worst video of the finalists.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
BORING! She’s a “no” vote for sure.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
zzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz
May 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Not boring at all. One of the most engaging Mahalo Daily episodes I’ve seen for a long time. Sarah matched the energy level to the topic and to her guest’s rhythm and presence. I actually understood more about he topic and her guest than I have from the other presenters - i.e. this episode provided some depth.
For those who want “high energy” all the time - get real. This topic might have been different from what you expected, but she explored it in a really great way.
She gets my vote. I came away feeling like I really understood something more than I did when I started. Isn’t that the whole point of mahalo.com - human interaction providing more “real” content than provided elsewhere?
May 20th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I didn’t think I’d like it much, but she did a great job, and definitely had an energy level that was appropriate to her interviewee. She didn’t intrude on the subject matter by trying to make the episode about her. Very cute girl-next-door look, well-spoken and smart. If this is a sign of things to come, I think she’d do very well on Mahalo Daily.
Nice to see her response video up there as well.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Wow. Is this a sympathy entry to not offend the ugly people in the world? Not dynamic, not engaging and certainly not worthy of filling VB’s shoes. She’s not worthy of shining them. Please send her home and never bring her back.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
This was a very good topic, but the execution was poor. Sarah just doesn’t have the energy and doesn’t really draw the audience into the topic. Unfortunately, not host material.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I didn’t enjoy this one. I was bored, the facial expressions were a bit inappropriate at times, and I would have liked to see more actual dancing (standing up, perhaps sped up through a longer section). That said, the topic was good (with the obvious connection between Hula and Mahalo), but I don’t think it came off. Sorry!
May 20th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Great pick Sarah! You’re a natural and you have my vote. I thought the subject matter was spot on and your hula teacher guest very interesting. I had no idea there were so many percussion instruments in hula dancing! That’s what I come to Mahalo Daily for, and you delivered!
May 20th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
If you are looking for sexy fluff you’ll probably bypass Sarah. If, OTOH, you’re looking for substance and polish, Sarah’s presentation has been the best so far.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:31 am
Like Simon Cowell says, in this stage of the competition, you need to be memorable-distinct. I don’t find anything memorable about it. Is it the topic? Is it the glasses? Is it the interview? Is it the leis?
Jason asked Jason Nation “buy or make.” We said make. We need to find somebody that has potential to become a vibrant personality. Plus, how excited can we get to watch a season full of “hula” type topics? The reality is that we watch because the host is interesting…vibrant, young, and energetic–in essence the Face of Mahalo (besides Lon, Fondue). Is this the one? I don’t think so. She is good for her stuff, but Mahalo Daily is prime time. It’s like Broadcast News Movie and getting promoted to the anchor desk. We have the Holly Hunter (Lon), we need a William Hurt and not an Albert Brooks. I digress…but you get the point.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:06 am
HEy I don’t know what u guys are talking about!
This Mahalo Daily Episode was so wonderful!
It wasn’t so damn high energy, but who cares?
I LOVED LOVED LOVED these wonderful episode and it was kinda relaxing. But it fitted in totally to the topic of this one.
Make her the new Host!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 10:04 am
I loved Sarah! She is REAL - and incredibly relatable…which you don’t find on TV these days!
May 21st, 2008 at 10:28 am
Sarah was my fav contestant in the final six. She has my vote.
Zev
May 21st, 2008 at 10:37 am
she REALLY lacks energy!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Delightful interview. Personality plus. Like to see more.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Well now it seems to me that Valz spelled out the points very well…one thing that is so awesome about Sarah is the she doesn’t make the story about herself…she lets the story lead…that was a great topic, her vibe matched the Hula Lady very well and you could tell that Sarah put her right at ease…
This town is so full of personalities that scream ME ME ME…it is refreshing to see someone who has it all going and combines it with the confidence to just invite you in to experience the story….
GO @wood!
May 21st, 2008 at 10:18 pm
This was a very fun episode. But like I have said before. A lot of what I have seen looks no different than a gimmicky segment on the evening news. I will have to stick with Sarah because it was the most natural of the 6. I have watched Mahalo from the beginning, pretty much following Veronica Belmont. So I’ll have to admit that it’s the host that pretty much does it for me. If I want some gimmicky host I might as well stick with the quick segments on cable and local tv since I am paying for it. Give me a reason to stop paying. A good start is go for Sarah.
1. Sarah
2. Andrea
3. Nadine
4. Michelle
5. Leah
6. Kristina
I have posted the videos in the order that I favor and what I thought on my vlog, check it out http://tinyurl.com/4sor5w
May 21st, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Sarah is articulate, intelligent and beautiful. She did an excellent job in writing and interviewing on her segment; enjoyed her topic. Sarah’s energy level was just right. She is very cute and loveable and would love to see her more often.
Valz had an excellent response. Go Sarah.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 am
Sarah’s episode was very well produced and it was interesting.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:03 am
[...] vague to be of use. I could have elaborated on the interviewing skills, I suppose, but I already commented on her individual episode (which it’s logical to assume she read). If I had said her face was off-putting, then that [...]
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:18 am
Really great - she has my vote!
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pm
For those of you asking how to vote goto:
http://www.mahalo.com/
Go there and click on VOTE NOW!
Click on name of contestant you want to win.
WIN a Mac air computer if they pick your vid reply.
YOU ONLY HAVE TILL MIDNITE
SUNDAY MAY 25 2008!
Don’t miss it!
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Sarah can do it all. There isn’t anything Sarah Atwood can’t do, From the Hula to the Cachuumba.
And I oughta know. She’s the best, and you can quote me on that.
Bill Blair
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
i thought sarah was fun and very interesting. I loved the topic and found it to be a very comfortable and easy going interview which i am sure is not an easy feat. My vote is for SARAH!!!!!! She has natural grace in front of the camera that is needed for this job. Everyone should be voting for SARAH ATWOOD!!!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I enjoyed the interview. I thought it was funny and i think sarah quickly established a comfortable relationship with the interviewee. She is cute and fun to watch and i would love to see more episodes with her in them. The other girls just didnt seem as interesting. My vote is for sarah, i hope she wins!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
OK. I left this message a few days ago but it somehow got itself lost! Sarah rocks!! She is the best interviewer I have seen. She does not talk over her guest and does not ask a question only to answer it herself. She lets her subject talk, listens, interjects her own humor in a way that does not upstage her guest. So the interview lacked a little punch…I thought it was nostalgic, sweet, informative, and hugely RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS…. quite a nice departure from the noisy, carbon copy “reality” shows of our day. I find Sarah totally refreshing. She certainly has my vote!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Sara’s video rocked! I was entertained, learned and laughed. That’s an @wood triple play! FTW!!!
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 am
Sarah is a gifted teacher
a willing learner
and shows a lot of heart.
Folks should watch her over
and over again,
Not getting tired of seeing her.
Just the pretty ones,
without technical and interview skills -
they will get old fast and not last.
Grating on nerves, nothing to learn,
maybe remaining as eye candy but
without substance in anyone’s mind.
Where is Jessica Simpson now?
Longevity, synergy with the topic,
being in control of production and
content and technical elements,
can only help Mahalo grow stronger
and better.
Sarah has it in spades.
Digg Sarah! Hire her,
you will have no regrets…..
for the looooooong haul.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 am
WHERE IS EVERYBODY?
VOTE FOR SARAH!
The official vote now is up at VOTE NOW!
@ http://www.mahalo.com
So……………..VOTE NOW!
(check out how to win a free computer too!)
(Sunday May 25, 2008 deadline)
Thanx
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:51 am
Sarah has my vote! She is the whole package for what people want to watch. I agree with Sarahhasstayingpower that she has what it takes to keep people interested for the long haul.
She is talented and throws herself into the interview 100%. Did you guys notice that she’s in view and involved the whole time? I think that’s important! Sarah has what it takes to keep people watching.
Best candidate by far is @WOOD!!!!!!!!!
May 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Sarah has all the right moves
May 25th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Thanks for an inspiring interview. After I watched it, I got up and danced! Your piece moved me to action.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Overall… good piece. I sort of cringed when I saw that Sarah was doing a piece on Hula. But… for a five minute short, it was actually well done.
One thing though… ‘hula dancing’ is like saying ’shrimp scampi’… it’s redundant.
Nice job Sarah!
Pili
May 30th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Better than Nadine’s but sorry this was just too slow. I think she was expecting hip-shimmy type of Hula, which is not actually Hula but tahiti style dance. Hula IS all about the hands, which is why it was a poor choice of topic.
Let’s assume for a moment that topic is irrelevant as long as the host makes it interesting. Well, I’m sorry but this wasn’t interesting.
July 6th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Dear Mahalo Daily:
I happened across your hula segment by chance this morning. I understand your intention is to educate your viewing audience. But as a native Hawaiian, I found your choice of whom you interviewed to be very offensive.
First of all, the process of becoming a “Kumu Hula” is highly formalized and steeped in tradition. It takes years to earn the title which is conferred by the instructor/teacher, who is a Kumu Hula themselves. All to often many simply confer the title upon themselves which falsely adds a level of legitimacy. And that legitimacy is for the sole purpose of maximizing their financial opportunities.
Some of the dead giveaways as to your interviewee not being a Kumu Hula were:
1. The inappropriate manner in which she demonstrated the Ipu.
2. The mispronunciation of Queen Liliuokalani.
3. The deplorable execution of all her hand movements.
4. The grossly incorrect response that a hula can be learned in two lessons.
5. No traditonally-based Kumu Hula would ever be caught dead with a name
like “Kalua”.
I started dancing hula when I was 6 years old. I am now 59 years of age. I’m not as spry as I used to be, but I can still get up there and do the dance justice.
Therefore, my comments are based on my first hand knowledge and experiences as a Hawaiian.
I wish your production company continued success.
Sincerely,
Walter Kaohu ‘O Kaleponi Mo’okini, Jr.