Greetings from The Paley Center for Media’s Education Department!

Peter Roth Interns Takeover!

This is the second part of a two episode What We’re Watching featuring recommendations from two more college students that are part of our Peter Roth Internship program @Paley!

This week’s ‘media share’ comes from a couple of hometown New Yorkers, Chloe Robinson, a rising junior at Brooklyn College, and Puspita Esha, a junior at Baruch College. Enjoy this unique perspective from the next generation of television and media professionals.

As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

Happy viewing,

Rebekah Fisk, Director of Education

Carlos Pareja, Manager of Education

What We're Watching: Favorite NYC Characters—Episode Two

We are the Digital Storytelling Team of the Peter Roth Internship here at The Paley Center for Media. Our cohort comes from locations across the country, representing a variety of backgrounds and experiences. This summer, we have all come together here at the Paley Center—a staple of NYC and media culture—to explore and develop our passion for television. Here we reflect on our favorite characters from New York City and why they resonate with us.

This Week's Recommendations for Younger Viewers

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Recommended for Grades 3+

Available for free at the New York Public Library

Available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime

Hi! My name is Chloe and I’m a rising junior at Brooklyn College majoring in Art and minoring in Creative Writing and Women and Gender Studies. As a Brooklyn native, I love exploring the diversity New York City has to offer and how to integrate the city into my writing. I love art that doesn’t abide by the rules. Art is about breaking boundaries and as time goes on it’s important to tell new stories. I’m excited to enter this new era of my journey as I take on more advice to advance my career in all aspects of creating.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse offers a new take on the Spiderman movies as Miles Morales faces the struggles of being a new superhero while exploring multiple other identities in the Spiderman multiverse. As an art major who loves the possibilities animation has to offer, watching this movie is like the excitement of a kid walking into a candy store. During a time when many companies wanted to play it safe by using the Pixar art style, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse changed the course of animation. The animators combined traditional methods with new ones to create a seamless story that evokes so much emotion and movement. They managed to create an extremely stylized movie with the perfect balance of colors and action to make it look like a comic book. The art style is revolutionary and has inspired many others to experiment and break boundaries. It’s both fun and different.

A huge reason why I love this movie is because of Miles himself. Compared to previous Spidermen, his story is different. Miles is an extraordinary character and although he manages to somehow become a superhero his story is still relatable. Hailing from Brooklyn, Miles is Black and Puerto Rican and goes to a prep school. Into the Spider-Verse explores his identity as the new hero while also battling the expectations of his father, a police officer who despises Spiderman. He also meets people who have the same abilities from parallel universes, and they team up to fight a villain he knows personally. Although this may sound specific, many people can relate to the experience of feeling different in a new environment. Like many of us, he too faces endless expectations from parents and debates on what route to take: his own or his parents. I see a lot of myself in Miles and my journey as an artist constantly trying to create my own path. I also love the authenticity of his character. His portrayal as a Brooklyn native from spray painting the subway to putting his stickers everywhere feels genuine. He's a resourceful character and navigates dealing with his problems in a refreshing way. He's funny, his music taste is superior, and Miles gives people hope to explore all the possibilities life has to offer.

This is an amazing movie for young kids to watch. It explores a family dynamic that makes it more relatable to regular people and it's a story that everyone can learn something from. Miles Morales is for the people. He's arguably the best Spiderman there is and offers a lot of hope for the new generation of storytellers. The second part of Miles's story Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues his journey as Spiderman as he begins to face an even bigger obstacle that could be the end of the Spider-Verse. Check it out in theaters today!

Additional Resources

How the Spider-Verse Forced Animation to Evolve

How the ‘Spider-Verse’ Animators Created That Trippy Look

Trailer for Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse

Trailer for Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse

This Week's Recommendations for Older Viewers

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Recommended for Grades 6+

Available for free at the New York Public Library

and Disney+

Hi, my name is Puspita Esha, and I am a junior at Baruch College studying Accounting here in New York. I was once a Teen Transmitters Intern in 2020, part of the first remote class, so being back at The Paley Center for Media as a Peter Roth Intern feels full circle. You may have seen my name before if you have been reading the newsletters since the start of the pandemic, but I’m super excited to return with another newsletter.

As a native New Yorker, any reference to home always excites me. Growing up, I devoted most of my time to reading. Because I particularly enjoyed Greek mythology, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians series has always fascinated me and continues to fascinate me as an adult. Seeing Riordan combine the worlds of mythical creatures and New York was unique for an author. With Camp Half-Blood in Long Island and the home of the Gods being on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, these recognizable places made me more excited to walk through the city I call home. Percy Jackson, in particular, became a character I cherished because he was full of bravery and loyalty. Through any challenge, Percy becomes the embodiment of a true hero and a true friend. He’s someone I resonated with because not only was he a New Yorker, but he was the type of person I wanted to be for my friends. He’s someone who everyone, including the Gods, knows of because of his helping hand. Spoiler! He’s also the ideal boyfriend to his girlfriend, the very lucky demigod Annabeth Chase.

Overall, the entire series is packed with action and adventure and often reminds readers of the importance of friends and family. As family friendly as the series may be, Riordan doesn’t stop there. The series extends to The Heroes of Olympus, which is much more suitable for teenage audiences. The pack we knew in the first series has grown and acquired more people, introducing Roman demigods. The second series covers getting through differences, romance, and harder-to-talk-about topics. It is a series I have grown up with, and even as an adult, I love to read now and then.

The book expanded into its own movie in 2010, featuring Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson and Alexandria Daddario as Annabeth Chase. The series also has a show in production on Disney+ with stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson and Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, which Riordan is closely working on and writing updates about on his blog. I am hoping for book-to-live-action accuracy with this one, given the author’s closeness to the project! Riordan is also working on another book to extend the Percy Jackson series, The Chalice of the Gods, which comes out September 26, and focuses on a college-age Percy and friends, expanding the franchise's audience even more.

Furthermore, the universe has grown to include readers of all ages, which is why it is so popular. It is a fun story for those with vivid imaginations and features unique characters and plots. Plus, Percy Jackson is a New Yorker! Why not support our hometown hero!

Additional Resources

For more updates on the books and TV series, check out Rick Riordan’s blog site.

Trailer for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Trailer for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Teaser Trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Series

Enjoy,

Chloe and Puspita

Photos—Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse: Sony; Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Disney+

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