MD128 - Mahalo VLOG Idol Interviews Kristina Allison, Sarah Atwood and Leah D’Emilio
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 Mahalo VLOGIdol Competition! |
As we near the final stages of the Mahalo VLOG Idol competition to find a new host for Mahalo Daily, we interviewed each of the final six contestants. Here is Kristina Allison’s, Sarah Atwood’s, and Leah D’Emilio’s interview.
Story Links:
Mahalo VLOG Idol
Kristina Allison
Sarah Atwood
Leah D’Emilio
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Tags: competition, contestant, interview, kristina allison, leah d'emilio, mahalo, mahalo vlog idol, mahalodaily, sarah atwood, vlog idol
May 26th, 2008 at 3:10 am
I’m decided now: the next Mahalo Daily hostess must be Leah. I think Kristina is great (very good looking, great voice and skills) but Leah is the best of all. She could be as good as Veronica but in a different way, which I think is the best since maybe we aren’t looking for a 2.0 version of our dear V. From the interview I can see that she really wants the gig. Give her a chance, she will be great, I hope.
Thanks and congratulations for giving the audience the chance to choose the new host.
Greeting from a Venezuelan fan living in Bogotá
May 26th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Leah looks so different with/without glasses :)
Anyway, I hope she gets the gig
May 26th, 2008 at 5:34 am
Totally disappointed - these scream out for a Miss Mahalo (c.f. Miss World, USA, Universe) style interview with Lon! Just because Jason is down in this part of the world doesn’t mean it’s time to get serious :)
FWIW, Leah’s interview answers definitely shine out of the three so far.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:56 am
I’m sticking with my first impression - I’ll stay subscribed if Leah gets the gig.
May 26th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Each contestant is good in their own way, but Leah is excellent. Hire Leah D’Emilio!
May 26th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Sarah is just lame, sorry Sarah.
I really love Kristina, she’s brave and claws her way through adversity with poise. Props to the Mahalo team for bringing her this far, she definitely is something special. But she’s still not quite at ease with this whole thing, feels a bit awkward. Maybe with time she’d loosen up, it would be good to see how that goes and i’d be very happy for her if she did win.
But Leah has it all right, hands down. She’s cool, collected, intuitive, can be professional but still fresh…
The other 3 candidates are also way behind Kristina and Leah.
So… LEAH FTW!!!
May 26th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Big change in results over night on the vote.
Poll Option Yesterday Today Difference
Kristina Allison 1239 1250 11
Sarah Atwood 253 350 97
Leah D’Emilio 2388 2545 157
Nadine Heimann 2887 3548 661
Michelle Hummel 687 706 19
Andrea Rene 1552 3114 1562
May 26th, 2008 at 7:39 am
As stated before:
LEAH RULEZ!! (Even for a european like me)
May 26th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I really love Kristina,
I don’t know what it is with Leah, I just find her annoying. Her personality is not “genuine” to me, and less personal. Yeah, she’s business-like, gutsy and gung-ho, but she doesn’t connect for me. And Kristina’s just as adventurous and exciting…
I would actually find it tiresome watching Leah multiple times, and I think Kristina would be more FUN to watch. I would continue subscribing with Kristina, but not Leah, I’m afraid.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Leah… without question.
The others are good, but Leah stands out heads-and-shoulders above the rest of the crowd.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I thought from the beginning that Andrea Rene had it wrapped up from the beinning. She was cute, good on camera and seemed to have it all. Then the final competition came and I thought Leah D’emilio did an excellent job. She seemed real genuine. But i was waiting for Andrea Rene’s Mahalo Daily segment because i figured she’d blow everyone away. But then she did a story on guns with a guy that seemed like a gang banger and I got the impression she was trying to be too cute to the point of being fake. I don’t know about your sensibility’s, but that’s not the kind of story Mahalo Daily is known for and it was kind of scary. So I voted for Leah. Thanks.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:31 am
You know after watching these, I thought I had my mind set with Leah. Yes she IS the best host so far, but is she really right for Mahalo? Sarah Atwood is more of a geek then the others, but she was also the most boring to watch. Of course that was only one episode. We really need to narrow it down to one more round of top 3. Two episodes each, just so we can see what they really have.
I still got you Leah, but as I sent you a twitter Sarah, you have made a fan out of me.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:27 am
I feel sick. Leah talks too much. The only one I listen to is Kristina.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Kristina is good, but she isn’t high energy enough and she doesn’t smile enough.
Leah is gorgeous and would be great.
Sarah is absolutely perfect for Mahalo, and she wants it the most. She has that Mahalo-perfect combination of qualities: cute, perky, nerdy.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Pick Leah. She is amazing!
May 26th, 2008 at 11:23 am
It’s obvious that Leah is the most articulate and has a sense about her abilities and herself. Leah is the one.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I still think Leah should get the gig so far. From her interview she made it clear that she is very intent on becoming the host of something, if not Mahalo Daily.
That said, the best interview would have to go to Sarah. As much as MD is supposed to be about education and fun (i.e. web savvy should not be a requirement), I couldn’t help but feel a little drawn the the innate geekiness of Sarah. She was the only one whose answers in regards to favourite websites, didn’t seem contrived.
So, kudos to Sarah on that one.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Of the 3 you have up now it is easy to see that Leah D’Emilio is your girl! She out shines the others by far. She is the best in making the transition from Veronica to the new Mahalo. Her personality and the way she carries herself makes me just want to know more about whatever she is telling us.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Thank you Jason and company for your presentation of the whole selection process to the “New World”. The evolution of communications is a work of art in the making. People from all walks of life and in all places are joining in, molding this dynamic medium of expression. Your efforts will make the evolving New World a better place. Hoots and hollers for Mahalo!
A host who can communicate well will attract even more viewers from all points on this shrinking planet, and make Mahalo a favorite click for more people all over the world. The number of international comments posted during the competition is significant.
Leah D’s superlative abilities have shined as the real gem of the competition. Her value as a creative member of the Mahalo team will add a catalyst to the mix that will create a new glimmer and lasting durability for the Mahalo product.
Leah D’s artistic communication skills are as smooth and solid as a fine Italian terrazzo lovingly crafted with skills passed down through generations of Italian heritage. Her quick witted responses to questions are as exiting as a joy ride in a fine Italian sports car holding you on the road she is taking you down. As she takes your around the bend she reveals a point of view that you feel has taken you somewhere, revealing an interesting perspective! Her voice has a melodic quality that soothes the soul like the waves rythmically crashing on a breathtaking beach, each description building to a crest that washes onto the beach and leaves you with a sense of satifaction and understanding.
Kristina rocks in SoCal! And I’m, like…. sure, that all of her rocker friends think that she is like, totally awsome, but, you know, can she communicate to a broader audience? I think that she would be amusing to go snowboarding with, but she seems to be too distracted in her thought process to make meaningful points in an interview. I don’t beleive she has the confidence or skills to do interviewing. Keep on rockin’ Kristina!
Sarah is sweet and I would love to have her as a neighbor and friend. I don’t beleive she stacks up against Leah D.
D’Emilio is D’ realio dealio!
May 26th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Guys, I was for Leah from the very beginning - she’s that “nerdy” look and looks a bit more professional in interviewing. Remember, Mahalo should bring something to us, for our curiosity, we should always learn something. It’s really important for me, that’s one of the reasons why I loved Mahalo all that time. There is simply no other participant having such unique image…
Please give Leah your votes!
May 26th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Wow, after Pan’s silly waxing poetic about Leah, I almost don’t want to vote for her…
But Leah’s the best of the bunch. She may have been a little stiff at first, but she’s obviously worked hard to be the Mahalo Daily host everyone has come to expect. In her interview, she was very articulate about her goals, answered the questions thoroughly and seemed very genuine. Sure, she said her dream job was as host of Mahalo Daily. But isn’t that the right answer in an interview like this? Intelligent move.
My vote is for Leah. If Mahalo Daily doesn’t hire her, somebody else will.
And damn the ZOHO poll because someone is stuffing the ballot box. Nadine (as good as she is) went from having only a couple of hundred votes the other day (when others had around 1500) to being in the lead by 500 or so votes. Smells fishy to me. I tested the idea of removing the ZOHO cookies from your browser. That allows you to vote more than once. So it’s trivial to game the system.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I’m still not sure who I’m backing in this competition but Kristina came across as the most authentic in these three interviews.
Maybe it’s the rocker in her or the DYI ethic. I don’t feel that LA desperation from her. And I don’t feel like she’s bullshitting us. Authenticity is a rare trait, especially in the hosting genre. I wasn’t a huge fan of Veronica but she knew the tech space and she was authentic. Tough to come by.
Anyway. Like I said, I’m not sure who I’m leaning towards but Kristina’s interview earned her some points with me.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Just as a quick follow up…
I have to agree with a previous commenter who said Kristina looks distracted all the time. She seems to lack some mental focus. That may be a fun quality in a friend, but not for a daily hosting spot. I, like, totally get the stoner vibe off of her… ;-)
Sarah Atwood is really sweet. I appreciate her approach with the hula instructor for her episode. Respectful, tasteful, etc. But it was– sadly– quite boring. I think it’s Sarah’s soft-spoken demeanor. I find that really attractive in a geeky girl, but it could get old in a daily variety show. That carried over into her interview, which I thought was a bit better. She’s got a very easy conversational style. But again, I think it would get old quickly…
May 26th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
@ Jason Huebel,
Glad you can make yourself judge, jury and executioner in that sweeping statement about Kristina.
If you know what a stoner is like then you must have had some experience at that. Or maybe you are currently a stoner yourself.
I don’t believe she has any interviewing training or acting training of the like.
An FYI for you is what I do know about her is that she is no stoner and further more is
a very sweet, honest, forthright and genuine individual. She will tell you the honest to goodness truth to your face and not hide behind a cubby or computer.
Also she is an accomplished student in college!!! That much I do know.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Can kristina say “you know” any more times in her bio? you know?
May 26th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
you all seem great but sadly nobody can replace veronica!
May 26th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Nadine is a perfect choice as a host. She has stage presence and charisma. With Mahalo’s diversified interest. Nadine is knowlegeable, spontaneous, and able to make the public easily understand the subject matter. She puts people at ease and shows respect to the interviewee. She appeals to all, she could be your buddy, your gym partner or the girl next door.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
What was the point in voting if they are doing this now?
Is this all just to drag out a the amount of time they can work with the six without having to pay them?
I grow board with this whole thing and think my time could be better spent looking at some useful then a contest that has no end and that in the end they will likely pick who they want or who ever they can hire for the least amount of money.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Just looked at the numbers and again big changes after the Midnight 25th deadline.
………………Yesterday Noon……AM Today……PM Today
Kristina Allison…………1239…….1250………….1254
Sarah Atwood…………..253………350…………….351
Leah D’Emilio…………..2388…….2545………….2578
Nadine Heimann……….2887…….3548………….3553
Michelle Hummel……….687………706…………..706
Andrea Rene……………1552…….3114………….3604
So are they going to give it to the winner after Midnight like they said or the one when they finally got around to closing the poll?
May 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
“you all seem great but sadly nobody can replace veronica!”
tru dat, is she still doing the techzilla thing?
and apperantly andrea won?
May 26th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Those vote numbers are worthless - people were multi-voting like crazy. They’d have to find a way to de-dupe the votes to get the real numbers. Hopefully all of the votes have IPs, etc, and they can filter the noise out.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
@cncoqui Stalker much?
Kristina has the rocker/skater/snowboarder thing going on. Saying she has the “stoner vibe” seems to sum that up pretty well. It’s similar to the “surfer dude” or the “skater boy”. Take your pick.
Again, I’m not saying that’s a bad quality in a person (it takes all kinds). But for a presenter on a daily podcast, it could get old fast.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Why did they not ask Sarah what her favourite activities are?
Because it is obvious: Sarah’s favourites are web/vlog activities!
she is on the web all the time on twitter, her own
and other blogs and websites, and she makes vlogs.
She says she loves twitter and you can see she uses it
she participates regularly on other people’s blogs and websites if you look.
She even runs a webblog for her mother!
She said that the web/vlogging is her LIFE and she meant it.
She has performed individually since 3 and in professional theatre since 5.
She has followed Mahalo Daily since it began so she has all that background
but watching Mahalo Daily is obviously one of her favourite activities.
Sarah listed about four favourite websites including Mahalo
Sarah is PASSIONATE about all the activities of Mahalo vlog host already.
Sarah shows her experience and knowledge in the episodes:
interview skills, interaction with the person, framing the picture with depth and different backgrounds, beginning - middle - end and funny outtakes at end,
control of interview to direct the interviewee in motion, relaxed, humor etc.
Mahalo would be missing a HUGE opportunity if they did not invite Sarah into the fold.
Leah’s favourite activities include eating and travelling and she described that in depth.
Kristina’s favourite activities include music and learning things - she said she also likes to do editing and be behind the scenes as shown by her choice of interview subject.
Neither had more than a couple of favourite websites
Neither participates in discussions all over the web
Neither showed a lifetime of passion for the web/vlogging or even performance although they seemed to like these things.
If you have to choose between someone who has a high degree of skill and experience who is passionate about the work because they do it all the time on their own time because it is part of their being THAT is a top pick for the job.
Compared to someone who has no experience but wants to learn things maybe behind the scenes
or compared to someone who wants a dream job but shows no evidence that they are following that dream at all n their real life….and maybe the next interview their dream job will be something completely different and also not reflect who they really are or what they like to do….
Sarah becomes the only obvious choice to be a great fit and success.
Now I am not saying the others might not be great also.
What I am saying is that Sarah shows she is the best fit now,
and Leah could be great as a roving reporter who travels to many places and can feature food stories among others
and Kristina could be great as an apprentice on ALL aspects of vlog hosting including technical because she has no experience so far.
MY TAKE ON IT:
1. Sarah vlog host local
2. Leah vlog host rest of the world (roving reporter)
3. Kristina vlog host/technical intern and trainee
May 26th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Leah wins this round hands down. Kristina was distracting with all her “You Knows”. She may be to rough a diamond. Sarah’s may be just to low key for this slot. It doesn’t seem to bring any emotion into presentation. I’m not sure if she care about the story. However, Leah seem to be having fun and bringing us along for the ride.
May 26th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
May 26th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
First impression: Leah
Best episode: Leah
Best interview: Leah
She’s smart, interesting and comfortable. You can tame down “polish,” but you can’t fake it. She can take Mahalo Daily and run with it.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I have seen enough. Leah has the whole package…looks, educated, informative, energy, sense of humor and what diction! Like I said before she just has IT.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I think everyone is missing the point here… You will never replace Veronica and I think we should stop comparing these ladies to her… Veronica was and is brilliant; however, these ladies are brilliant in their own way. We have to try and keep that in mind while we are critiquing them. Each lady has their own style and personality, I think we need critique them on those qualities… not how they measure up to someone else.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Honestly, I haven’t been comparing them to Veronica Belmont so much as I’ve been comparing their styles to that of the style Mahalo Daily tries to put across. Fun. light-hearted, whitty and interesting…
You’re correct that nobody can replace Veronica. But at the same time, somebody has to…
@Bill Green: You make an excellent point that you can’t fake polish. Leah has polish and will– over time– find her rhythm on MD.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
It’s time to wrap up the voting talk. The vote was over on Sunday! The results of the vote were as accurate as a third world dictatorship in the midst of a coup. So let me take one last vote. All in favor say eye. OK, the eyes have it and Leah has the eyes I like to see.
All the comments are quite interesting and have made quite a buzz, but the only vote that counts for anything now is how the CEO of Mahalo votes.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
I’m with Leah from the three interviews, for a number of reasons.
I find it extremely important to take responsibilites to oneself, like Kristina seems to take, but to make a daily podcast, maybe teamwork is the best option. Unless she intends to dedicate 25/7 to the podcast hehe :P.
Sarah, I find her very peaceful, to the point, probably very dedicated and willing to win. Though there is something missing, maybe a little more energy, something more catchy.
Leah… She’s very professional, polished, maybe a good teamworker. She caught me on the last question, of why she should host the show. She looks very secure and a hard worker. Also, i felt she caught the mahalo daily spirit, and that’s why she is (back) to the top of my list.
But i’m still anxious to shee the other three interviews !
May 26th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
are you kidding me. i lol’ed when i read some of the ridiculous comments these ppl left. talk about over analyzing. christ. my vote was w/ kristina.
-nikko
May 26th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Consider it the voting discussion wrapped.
Sarah had more favourite web sites
Sarah has longer experience performing - from 3 years of age
Sarah is the one one who LIVES on the net and admits that it is her life
Sarah is the only one who has been answering folks all over the web during and way before this job application
Sarah is probably the only one who has watched every Mahalo episode there is
Sarah is probably the only one who comes up to Actors Equity performance standards - at age 5!
Sarah has a theatre degree they said - that is relevant
Sarah makes the topic/interviewee the star and not herself - facilitating learning
Sarah has a great sense of humor - making Farrell moves all her life as a dream job :-)
Sarah has a well respected blogsite with vlogs with a solid audience following showing she can cut it
Sarah has everything you need!
May 26th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
A couple of suggestions. Kristina, you really need to rein in the “You know”s. It’s a hard habit to break but a pause will serve you much better on camera. Leah and Sarah take off your glasses. I don’t know if it was the way the lights were set up or just the lens but big time glare on Leah’s glasses. Not as bad on Sarah’s but still distracting. Unless you are reading a teleprompter you don’t need them in an interview like this was. Sarah the white blouse isn’t so good. Darker, warmer colors will help make your skin have a healthy glow and make your face the center of attention. Stir clear of greens and yellows the light reflecting off them on you face will make you look ill. I know this is nit picking but like that last episode of America’s Nest Top Model or Top Chef, the smallest mistake can cost you the game.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:33 am
http://qik.com/video/87443
May 27th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Leah. Hands down. I think Kristina could do OK, but the episode wasn’t as strong as Leah’s. Sara is the weakest of the bunch so far.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:31 am
ok let’s get on with it, Sara is the one most sutible for this kind of video-cast. She seems the smartest and defenatly the funnyest.
Tal,
Israel.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:08 am
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May 27th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Kristina seems like an awesome person, definitely someone I’d want to be friends with. As a host though, she needs a lot of experience and work. While it can be argued that she can learn as she goes along, I think the next host should be someone who can jump in and continue the pace without needing time to learn the ropes. I still like Sarah and Leah the best, but Sarah has my ultimate vote as she is already involved with the online community. She is so personable because of her activity on twitter, seesmic and many other sites, and she has experience with internet video.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:41 am
@w00d all the way!
May 27th, 2008 at 9:50 am
All fine candidates, but Leah is the most articulate and fun to watch. I feel with the others I am watching Teen Beat and though the perky bit will grab a short term viewer, it won’t maintain them.
BTW: Wrap this up, it is showing a great deal of indecisiveness from MD and smacks of getting a free ride on the backs of your applicants.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Oh lord…Leah is so boring! Is there a REAL personality in there? Kristina on the other hand seems very genuine and nice, but is just not ready for prime time. Sarah (though not perfect) is definitely the best of this bunch b/c at the very least she keeps it real - she’s simply attempting to do what she loves and it shows.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Paul, I agree that they need to wrap this up. For me, the contest robs the contestants of their efficacy for being pseudo-celebrity hosts. The girls are practically made to beg for the job at this point. Can you imagine Veronica as a beggar, groveling for this job ? No, right.
Allure for each is diminishing with each round. This is my opinion.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
What more is there to say about Leah that hasn’t been said.
She is a Gem-well-polished with many facets emitting such brilliance and clarity that as the new host of Mahalo Daily she could make it shine!
Treasure this Gem.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Hire Excellence. Hire Leah D’Emilio.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I have viewed all five of the Mahalo Daily finalist and there is only one winner
and that’s Leah D’Emilio. The last two, Michelle and Andrea, did not excite me at all. Michelle was too laid back and Andrea made me nervous…she talked too fast and a lot of “you know”. As for the last contestant, Nadine, where was she?
So I hope the next viewing of Mahalo Daily, I’d love to see Leah as the new host.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
X XXXX XXXX X X
X X X X X X
X XXX XXXX XXXX
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XXX XXXX X X X X
May 27th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
The comment above this should have spelled out LEAH, sorry.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Leah, you are one !!!, I think you look so much better without the glasses, ’cause you have beautiful eyes…
Hope to see you stay in Mahalo Daily !!
Good Job…
May 28th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Having seen the five interviews, I have to say Leah, followed by Sarah, followed by Andrea. Professionalism and smarts (though knowing when to let one’s hair down) are real selling points for me. These are the reasons why I go with Leah and Sarah. Andrea’s interview didn’t wow me, but it was still pretty good, and I really enjoyed her episode despite never having owned a gun.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
WTF is with the commenting system. I leave a comment from my Mac using Safari or Firefox and it never shows up. I resubmit it later on my Windows PC and it is rejected as a duplicate post. Here is what I was trying to send:
After watching the 5 interviews Michelle and Leah are definitely the top two. Michelle is very likable, but her episode was not strong. I think she could work, but she’s not the best. I think Sarah is interesting but a bit out classed by some of the other contestants. Andrea and Nadine are incredibly annoying. I really can’t take the pop culture obsessed, vapid, E!/MTV types. I don’t even have to see Nadine’s interview - there is just no way I’ll watch her.
There is no explaining the poll results other than multiple voting by a few rabid fans. Leah is clearly ahead in the quality of performance and the comments submitted reflect that. Michelle also clearly has more support in the comments than the poll would suggest.
Kristina has a great look and attitude, but the “you know”’s are really annoying and I don’t think she is quite ready for prime time. Leah is far and away the best look, best skilled, most likable, and best suited to Mahalo. The interview was long winded and the praise for Mahalo a bit cliché. Though she looks great with or without glasses, I think she has to be conscious of the lighting. The glare was really distracting and it is hard to connect to someone if you can’t see their eyes. Definitely work the glasses, but when the environment is appropriate. I’d watch Leah any day. She’s outstanding.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Leah’s interview was boring, hell they were all boring. I definitely prefer Leah over the other two contestants, but her responses here really felt canned. I think someone else mentioned this but it was basically:
Dream job: this one
best web site: this one
etc etc…
Leah’s only problem is she doesn’t seem to be as into technology as the others.
September 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
It isn\’t illegal, and it is making a lot of people rich.