Allen Wolf's Blog, page 2
April 15, 2021
Launch of Navigating Hollywood Podcast, Sweet Magnolias, and Oscar Show
I launched the Navigating Hollywood podcast last month, and the response has been tremendous. We’re now in the top 5% of the most popular podcasts! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed!
We’re looking for 40 more people to subscribe to our podcast on Apple, so Apple will feature our podcast to reach even more listeners. Will you take a moment to subscribe and write a review?
Sheryl Anderson, the creator of Sweet Magnolias, joined me for a recent interview where she talked about her hit show on Netflix and how she got where she is. You can also watch the interview on YouTube.
In the next podcast, I talk about surprising facts about the Academy Awards and how I became an Oscar Best Man. I’m giving away prizes to listeners too!
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March 30, 2021
Filmmaker Allen Wolf Launches Navigating Hollywood Podcast
Filmmaker Allen Wolf has launched the podcast Navigating Hollywood which features interviews with film and TV professionals who talk about their careers and how they stay relationally and spiritually healthy while working in Hollywood.
Wolf will interview some of Hollywood’s biggest players for insights into the ups and downs of their professions and how their faith has impacted their journey.
Season One will feature top media professionals, including Harry Yoon (editor of Minari and Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Sarah Drew (actress from Grey’s Anatomy), Daniel K. Hoh (writer from ABC’s Station 19), Sheryl Anderson (Showrunner, Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias), and more.
The first three episodes – featuring Harry Yoon, Sarah Drew, and Daniel K. Hoh – are live now, with subsequent episodes releasing every other Tuesday.
“I have learned a lot about navigating through Hollywood from media professionals who have been through the gauntlet,” said Wolf. “It is inspiring for me to hear how people have made it in entertainment, how they’ve overcome great challenges in their lives, and how they’ve worked to stay healthy along the way. I think many others will benefit from hearing these stories.”
The Navigating Hollywood podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and wherever podcasts are available.
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February 8, 2021
Film Daily Interviews Allen Wolf
Film Daily interviewed Allen Wolf about his filmmaking, his new movie Hooked, and the release of his latest games. Here’s an excerpt:
You took your game You’re Pulling My Leg! and turned it into a book. What does that process look like? How do you translate a game into a book?After the pandemic struck, I realized how much we all needed to connect and laugh. You’re Pulling My Leg! and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior lets you do both, but the previous version I had created was in a box, with cards, a shaker, a die, a timer, and tokens.
My challenge was to figure out how to make a new version of the game that could exist purely within a book. I experimented through multiple video calls with different groups of people until the new gameplay finally worked. Along the way, I learned a lot about the people I played with and had many, many laughs.
Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming movie Hooked?Hooked is a romantic dramedy about a man who believes he found his perfect soulmate, but his autism keeps him from realizing she’s actually a prostitute. My hope is for the movie to bring awareness to human trafficking while helping people to see autism through a new lens. I wrote, directed, and produced the film in Seattle, and we had a fantastic team of actors and people who worked behind the scenes to make it happen.
Businesses in Seattle were very supportive, and we were able to get great locations, while hundreds of people volunteered as extras. The film is funny and dramatic, and I love how it showcases Seattle areas that you usually don’t find in movies based there.
Hooked is based off a novel you wrote, what originally inspired the story?The Los Angeles dating scene inspired Hooked the novel. Dating in Los Angeles was challenging, and I hadn’t dated a lot before I moved here, so it felt even more awkward for me. I’ve heard that filmmakers write stories that feature versions of themselves as the main character, which was undoubtedly true of Hooked. I then created a character that would be the most challenging for the main character to date, and the story was born.
What made you decide to turn Hooked into a movie?I had always hoped to turn Hooked into a movie. Several reviewers of the novel noted that it would make a good movie, which further encouraged me. After the book published and won several awards, I had read multiple articles where filmmakers talked about how no one has an excuse not to make a movie because the cost and tools to make it were within reach. That prompted me to finally turn Hooked into a movie.
I gathered together people in Seattle who also wanted to make a movie together, and for many of them, it was their first time. I raised the financing, brought together experienced department heads, and they taught the people in their areas what they needed to know to make our film. It was a team effort. I’m looking forward to sharing the final movie when it is released.
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November 6, 2020
Board Game Design Lab Interviews Game Creator and Filmmaker Allen Wolf
The Board Game Design Lab interviewed Game Creator and Filmmaker Allen Wolf. They discussed various ways to promote a game and get the word out about it. They talked about how to contact game stores, traditional media, digital content creators, and more. They also touched on other subjects, and Allen talked about how to confront imposter syndrome when you’re launching a creative product.
The Board Game Design Lab is a weekly podcast that interviews the best designers, publishers, and insiders in the board game industry. Each episode covers a specific topic, and the discussion is geared toward helping listeners learn more about making great games people love.
The Board Game Design Lab is a community helping designers create great games that people love. It started off as a podcast in 2016 when the host was having a hard time finding the game design information I needed, and he assumed he wasn’t the only one. Since then, Board Game Design Lab has grown into an incredible community of designers and publishers doing their absolute best to encourage and help one another down the design path. The site is a helpful guide to thousands of game designers from all walks of life.
Download the episode here or listen to it on the Board Game Design Lab’s site.
You’re Pulling My Leg! is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
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November 3, 2020
You’re Pulling My Leg! Games Make Perfect Holiday Gifts
[image error]Bless Their Hearts Mom blog raves about our You’re Pulling My Leg! games and says they make perfect holiday gifts in their review of both games:
“This isn’t any ORDINARY book. It’s endless hours of entertainment and a chance to get to know your family members better.
“Test your bluffing skills with questions that range from thought-provoking to zany. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about other players in a short amount of time. And best of all, the game can be played in person or remotely!
“A fun way to connect, and get to know new family members. The books not only make great holiday memories, but also great gifts for giving to office coworkers, friends, and teachers.”
You’re Pulling My Leg! is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
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October 27, 2020
Mom Always Finds Out Blog Recommends You’re Pulling My Leg!
Mom Always Finds Out Blog recommends You’re Pulling My Leg! with their enthusiastic review. The blog writes about their experience playing the games and says, “You can probably imagine the silly stories and tall tales you hear when you play this game! It is so much fun for everyone. You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior gets everyone interacting together.
It is a great way for people of all ages to get to know each other better. We love how portable this game is because it is in book form. You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior is perfect to bring in the car to play on road trips. It’s also a good game to play on a video call. You don’t even need to be in the same place to have a fun game night with friends and family.
The holiday season is just around the corner. You’re Pulling My Leg! and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior are fun holiday gift ideas for family and friends.”
Read the full review on their website.
You’re Pulling My Leg! is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and wherever books are sold.
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October 20, 2020
Virtual Book Tour Launch Party!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for my Virtual Book Tour Launch Party for You’re Pulling My Leg! I talked about the history of the game, played the game, gave away prizes, and more. If you missed the fun, you can watch the video replay.
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October 7, 2020
Virtual Book Tour Party
We’re in a strange time of history to launch a book tour so we’re going virtual! Sign up at BookTourParty.com to join me as I launch my Virtual Book Tour Party for You’re Pulling My Leg! and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior! We’ll be playing games, giving away prizes, signing books, and more. Sign up to receive the access code and password.
October 19, 2020, at 7 pm ET / 4pm PT.
You’ll laugh out loud as you and your friends try to fool each other with hilarious stories about your lives as you play this storytelling game. After you choose a question, the secret flip of the coin tells you if your answer should be true or made up.
When you hear a story, vote points on if you think your friend is telling the truth or pulling your leg. You’ll win points if you’re right but lose them if you’re wrong. Think you know your friends? How well do they know you? Bluff other players but don’t let them fool you. Score enough points, and you win!
This game book features over 600 questions and instructions on how to play this game in person or over a video call with two or more people.
We’ll play the game as a group and have a lot of laughs together.
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September 18, 2020
Morning Star Games Releases Two New Games from Allen Wolf
I’m thrilled that Morning Star Games has released two new versions of games I created. Here’s the news:
Morning Star Games has released new adaptations of the award-winning You’re Pulling My Leg! games from creator Allen Wolf so they can now be played in person or over a video call. “I adapted these games because the world has changed dramatically, and people need a way to connect whether they’re able to gather in person or online,” Wolf said.
Wolf originally created You’re Pulling My Leg! as a gift for two friends who were dating each other. They eventually got married, and Allen also used the game to get to know his own wife. “My wife and I still love playing the game,” Wolf said. “There are over six hundred questions, and we keep hearing interesting stories about each other’s lives after ten years of marriage.”
The questions in You’re Pulling My Leg! are written for adults and teens, but then Wolf created You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior for families and kids after getting flooded with requests to do so. “As a parent, I’m always looking for a way to connect with our kids and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior will help parents learn more about their children.
The National Parenting Center agrees. In their review of the game, they wrote, “You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior teaches while challenging children to understand what makes an interesting, compelling, and believable story. Knowing your audience, playing to that audience, and selling your ideas are some pretty heavy things to find in a simple game, but that is just what testers reported witnessing in their children as they played this game over and over. There are elements of improvisational acting here, and along the way, you’ll be surprised how much you learn either about your own kids or about others.”
To play You’re Pulling My Leg!, players choose a question from the cards within the book. The secret flip of the coin tells them if their answer should be true or made up. When players hear a story, they vote points on if they think a player is telling the truth or pulling their leg. Players win points if you’re right but lose them if you’re wrong. Players try to bluff others and try not to let other players fool them. The first player to 21 points wins.
The new versions of You’re Pulling My Leg! contain over 600 questions and are now contained entirely within books. Available on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
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July 10, 2020
What Is Empathy and How Do You Cultivate It?
What Is Empathy?
Empathy involves being able to relate to the experience or feelings of another. It’s the bridge that is needed to cross over to compassion in which those insightful emotions then translate into beneficial action. Empathy is a necessary component in helping us to bond with others and is important for healthy relationships. Let’s take a look at some ways empathy can improve your life and how you can cultivate empathy into daily practice.
Why Empathy Matters
Making empathy a proactive practice can lead to a number of life-enhancing benefits for you on a personal level. Empathy is at the heart of the “Golden Rule.” You need to be able to have an understanding of what others are feeling and to be able to actually imagine yourself in their situation in order to be able to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
By cultivating empathy, it’s more likely you will treat those around you thoughtfully and be able to consider their needs. Empathy can also lead you to a clearer understanding of yourself and the way in which you come across to the outside world. Self-understanding is incredibly useful in navigating relationships. Being empathetic also facilitates improved management of interpersonal conflicts. It’s easier to compromise and come to a resolution between people when you have a potential understanding of another’s point of view.
As a parent, this can be particularly challenging when one of my kids is trying to explain why they just made a really bad choice and I have no energy left to try to figure it out. I’ve found that when I can take a moment to try to understand why their childhood mind thought hitting someone with a stick was a good idea, it can make all the difference.
The same is true in my marriage. It’s easy for me to have prepackaged opinions about all kinds of situations but when I take a moment to deeply listen to my spouse, I find we’re able to connect and understand each other in ways that help us move forward. If my hearing was as sensitive as this dog’s, I’d be in much better shape.
Empathy makes you a great candidate in the workforce, as well. It gives you the ability to better respond to the needs of customers and helps to create positive relations with your colleagues. Empathy is definitely a quality needed in strong leaders. Having insight into the perspective of your team members can help you to be more persuasive and motivating, causing co-workers to feel you understand them, which leads to increased dedication on their part. Possessing the ability to infer what others are going through even helps you to deal with negative people, as you can remind yourself of the possible emotions behind their behavior.
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Ways to Cultivate Empathy
The above points may resonate with you because you feel secure that you’re a fairly empathic person. It’s likely that we can all stand to be a bit more proactive in employing empathy in our daily lives. If you feel you could use a boost in this area, there are ways you intentionally work to develop a stronger capacity toward empathy. One of the most effective ways to understand others better is to improve your listening skills. Most of us are familiar with the concept of active listening and actually paying attention to the person who is speaking instead of working to formulate your own response. This can be a difficult concept to employ, but taking steps to be mindful and remain in the moment when another is talking to you can go far toward understanding where they are coming from. Ask questions to gain more information if you feel you don’t quite grasp their intent.
When my wife and I are talking to our kids but they’re obviously distracted, we ask them, “Do you have your listening ears on?” and that helps them to take a moment to center themselves and listen. When my wife and I talk to each other, it’s important for us to make sure we’re ready to listen, especially after we’ve each had a challenging day.
Asking questions regarding the motivation of others you encounter can greatly improve your capacity for empathy. Rather than simply responding with annoying or other negative emotion when experiencing an interpersonal conflict, take time to reflect on what may be causing them to act in such a way or what is the motivation that lies behind their beliefs. Differences of opinion and in approach are unavoidable throughout our lives. Bridging the gap between these contrasts requires asking yourself tough questions like what may be the emotion causing these actions, what the person’s intent may be, how their internal or external beliefs may contribute to their view.
Taking these steps can help you to realize that the other person isn’t necessarily bad, stupid or wrong. Improved understanding lessens frustration, stress and animosity. This is especially helpful in marriage.
Some Downsides of Empathy
Being an empathetic person is primarily a good thing, but there are some limitations to consider. An overabundance of empathy can cause us emotional distress, and focusing on these feelings often leads to inaction. You’re not doing any good for a situation by ruminating on its immensity.
Sometimes we can be prone to focusing our empathy on people we know or individuals we personally encounter, but we find ourselves unable to extend that understanding to the greater population. This is problematic because it can cause us to become uncaring about the plight of the “other” or unknown. Finally, empathy can be used in negative ways by those with ill intent. Sociopaths are known to prey upon the emotions and vulnerabilities of their victims by demonstrating a pretense of empathy.
Now that you have a more thorough understanding of how this quality can benefit your life and the ways to increase your ability to empathize, you can begin to look for ways to incorporate it into your day to day activities. You’ll soon see a more positive outlook on life and on your interactions with those around you.
I created a game called You’re Pulling My Leg! that helps you ask [image error]questions and get to know others on a deeper level. It’s a fun way for me to connect with others. I hope you’ll check it out.
Please let me know what this process is like for you and the challenges you meet.
Check out my previous post about Compassion and Empathy and also leave a comment below.
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