We are very pleased to bring you a new interview today and it’s something a little special, not only is Kim Cameron a top-charting EDM artist but Kim is an amazing children’s book author who has just made her first animated film “Seaper Powers, In Search of Bleu Jay’s Treasure“, which ties into being an ocean advocate.
Embark on a magical ocean journey in this feature-length animated film for young adventurers and families of all ages. Meet Emma, a little girl on vacation off the island of St. Thomas, who discovers magical sea-grass that gives her the power to talk to sea life. Soon enough, Emma has a new group of sea-critter friends. There’s Oliver, a shy young octopus who’s full of adventure but too timid to explore with his friends; and Steve, an out-of-place starfish who discovers he has powers of his own. Together, the quirky trio set off on a grand adventure to find buried treasure, along the way learning important lessons about friendship, self-confidence, protecting the environment, and the power of imagination.
I caught up with Kim to chat about her music, being an author and having her book being made into a full animated movie.
When did you first start producing music and what set you on the path of the style that you produce?
While I would love to call myself a producer, I am afraid, I do not have those kinds of ears. I stay in the songwriter and singer lanes. I am a firm believer songwriters hear things completely different than producers. I am very lucky, however, to have worked some of the dance community’s best producers which all have different styles and flavours. And, while I write many types of songs, my dance music focus began six years ago. I have always been a fan of dance music, but it took two albums and two different producers to get to the right producer who understood the dance direction I wanted to go in. The relationship between a songwriter and a producer is so critical, and when you do not have the same vision, it can completely change the outcome of a project.
Has your music taken you to places that you would have never expected to be taken otherwise?
Oh yes! I have been so fortunate to have travelled and toured around the globe…although I would love to keep adding countries! Festivals are the most favourite parts of my experiences so far. Something about being a part of an event with other musicians and artists, I think, adds to the experience. I love seeing others perform, listening to their work, learning about them. Each country I perform in also offers some unique experiences that I treasure, from Croatia to China to the Czech Republic to the Caribbean.
What do you enjoy most about being a musician? What do you hate most?
My most favourite part of my job is the creation process. I love performing, but performing always has a ton of logistical issues that never work exactly right. You work around them, but it is always a challenge. It’s a love-hate relationship I have with touring. If I could just be beamed to the stage….(I can dream, right?!)
With a degree in Journalism did you find that this helped you with the production of your series of books?
My Journalism background probably helped me with the structural part of my writing, but when you are writing for a children’s audience, you really have to leave the ‘adult’ side at home. The trick to writing stories for young audiences, is remembering what it is like to be and think like a kid. You have to bring back the world of imagination. When I was a reporter, you were told to follow the facts—a bit different then make-believe. ?
Can you tell our readers how the characters in the books were brought to life and how they were conceived?
When I was on tour in St. Barths, I met a little girl during one of my set breaks. She told me that her favourite sea creature was an octopus. This struck me as an odd creature for a little girl, so I ended up writing a tongue in cheek song called Mr Octopus with my guitarist, John DePatie. We sort of laughed about it, but then he encouraged me to write a story around the song. Soon, Seaper Powers, the first book, at least was born. I am now finished with the 5 books in this series and finishing up the first animated feature film for the series. The stories are both adventure books and positive message books about how to keep our oceans clean.
Seaper Powers, In Search of Bleu Jay’s Treasure, is now been developed into an animated full-length movie, how’s the process been for you so far seeing your characters coming to life?
I have octopus and starfish dreams every night these days! We are really close to the end for the premiere in South Beach next month, so every day is something new we have to address. The really fun part of this project is to see the voices match with the characters and music. So far, it’s coming out even better than I thought possible. So, yes I am very excited!
What’s next for you, your music and your writing?
After this movie is released, I will see the response. If it is positive…I might just have to start storyboarding Seaper Powers II.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
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