Friday, January 30, 2015

Interpreting the job of a composer:

Music is known for invoking feeling and emotions with organized noise or sound. There has to be a language for the musician to play the arrangement and a theory of some sort on how organized sound will be accepted by the listener. The composer has to be creative and know the language of music. The composer has to know the notes that are to be placed when composing a piece. Creativity takes thought and expansion on others' ability to create, so the composer has to be up to date on arranging pieces that the interpreter can understand. The composer then instructs the interpreter or musician on how the arrangement is to be played if there is confusion. If you have ever been to a symphony or a musical concert then you will notice the composer is always standing and instructing the band as the music is playing. He or she is making sure the pieces are being played properly and most of all, he or she is listening. Music takes time and many composers are under paid but they continue in the field because they love it. If you see a high price or a donation sign, it helps out a lot because musical equipment is not cheap. It is also a fact that listening to organized music increases your IQ.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Using a green screen:

If you are new to the film world and you have a small budget then you may want to invest in a green screen. One amazing thing about the green screen is you can put subjects anywhere in the world as long as you have the right pictures and backgrounds. Here are some tips on how to use a green screen:
  1. Keep a steam iron handy because you don't want a wrinkled green screen unless you are using a different effect.
  2. Make sure you have space when setting up your green screen.
  3. It is good to place the subject a good distance away from the green screen to avoid shadows, unless you are using a different effect.
  4. Make sure you use a good lighting technique, usually a back light, a fill light, and a light on the subject. Unless you are looking for a different effect, the green screen should be well lit with even light and no dark spots. There are apps that have ways to test the lighting of a green screen.
  5. Make sure you have extra clamps when pinning down your green screen.
  6. Find a software that accommodates the green screen effect and you're on your way to using your green screen effectively.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The the wonderful world of Broadcasting:

Let's come up with a plan to tell a story from home, then send the signal all over the world for everyone to hear the message from our living room. Does this plan sound possible? Well someone thought of it and it was done. Broadcasting; in simple terms, are radio waves or streams of radiation flowing through the air. To simplify it: if you've seen lighting falling from the sky, then you are pretty sure how this works. Now imagine putting a voice signal comprised of ones and zeros or just a pure analog radio waves from a transmitter to a receiver. When this happens you get mass production of communication from the comfort of a station with a big enough tower to send the signal. A good way to simplify this idea would be to think of the sun, which gives off energy by shining everyday. The energy from sun rays or radiation is safe enough for most people to consume and plants love it. This idea of sending signals through the air caught the attention of a group of engineers, then that group of engineers put the idea in motion. Once the vision became apparent then the cycle of signal to tower then tower to receiver became reality. If you take the concept and apply it to TV, radio, and internet then the wonderful world of broadcasting goes from someone's idea right into your TV set.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Knowing and understanding what Shutter Speed is:

For centuries big thinkers have been fascinated with time. Visionaries from all over the world of all shapes, colors, and sizes have tried to master the forward moving machine that has no mercy. That may be what makes the camera so powerful. A camera can trap time or moments with the press of a button. This stops motion and shows you the details. In the process of speeding up, or slowing down frames, this has to do with adjusting the shutter speed. If you've ever seen a picture of a subject that looks still but the background is moving, this is an example of the photographer adjusting the shutter speed. When light travels through a camera's lens there is a shutter that opens. How long this shutter is open is in contrast to the camera's adjusted shutter speed. One second of the shutter being open may show the water flowing from the facet, while 1/800 of a second may show little pieces of the water flowing from the facet. Here is a good way to try your own experiment of shutter speed without the camera: draw each frame of the running motion of a stick figure; then put the pictures together and breeze through them. It will look as if the stick figure is running. Not only is this an example of shutter speed, but it has a lot to do with animation and cinematography as well. In each image you will see different things. When you put the images in sequence you will not only get a glimpse of time, but you will get different perceptions of motion while moving through time. A better way to understand shutter speed would be to say, "If you could trap time and control motion while being able to view it,  adjust your shutter speed."    

Friday, January 23, 2015

Understanding and using Reverberation (Reverb):

To understand sound the thought of dolphins always comes to thought. Sound is unique, because it travels in short ranges depending on the amplitude. Sound is measured in decibels or DB. The distance on how far sound travels depends on the strength or amplitude. A good example would be if I'm at the top of the stairs calling you and you're in the basement, technically I have to yell louder for you to hear me. That is an example of me adjusting my volume and strengthening my sound waves, therefore increasing my decibels. Now lets focus on reverberation (reverb): Reverberation can be compared to reflections in a mirror. The more mirrors the more reflections. Sound can be reflected also. A good experiment would be to put three microphones in a room and start screaming. As long as the microphones are connected to speakers you will hear multiple screams. This is one example of reverberation. Another example is acoustics, good musicians will notice that some rooms sound much better than others because of the material in the walls etcetera. In some rooms when you scream you will hear an echo, which in theory are sound waves bouncing off of a certain type of material. Do not confuse the term reverberation with the term echo. Please note: an echo is the sound of explosion replicating in the air and reverberation is the sound of explosion being heard coming back to the ear. In music today there are many things to experiment with sound. You can try bouncing sound waves off of card board, plastic, aluminum, or even porcelain and you will notice each has a different sound reverberation. Many music software and video programs also use reverberation to adjust sound waves as well. Reverberation is used in movies, music, and even theatre. When using the reverberation setting you will notice a change in the pitch of the sound. The sound may sound hollow or solid. Now all you have to do is try it.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

How dancing gives you life:

Through the ages people suffer from things that seem impossible to overcome. A performer embraces the stage and falls, a person battling with cancer is told they will not survive. Then the instruments begin to play and something magical happens; the performer gets back up and the person with cancer survives. In the bible the scripture says that in a moments time with God, King David would dance. The moves and the sounds of life give us the ability to perform. Every culture has a dance. Every culture has a tune that will give someone somewhere the reason to forget all of their troubles and embrace the dance floor. Professional dancers use choreography and practice daily making just enough to get by off of a contract or teaching. The purity of dancing is freedom and happiness. A liberation away from troubles that seem impossible to overcome. It's safe to say that the true magic of dancing is watching a child with no hope of living get up when he or she hears that one tune and dances themselves back to life. As the music plays and they are all alone on the floor using their time to make up their own two step, people watch and join. Then at that moment the miracle of life begins all over again and there is hope. At that moment of liberation there is a reason to live with no worries or cares.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

What is a DSLR Camera and what makes it special?

A carpenter has a tool and a photographer has a camera. The camera is the photographer's tool, like a hammer is a carpenters tool. Cameras have different designs for different task, just like hammers have different designs for different task. When understanding cameras you have to think about the eyes and how light works. How much light can you let in and how much light can you project to get the real image. Think of this: your eyes can be blurry, blind, or open. This is the same as a camera. Now let's focus on the DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) Camera: The DSLR has a digital image sensor, which is different from photographic film. What makes the DSLR camera unique is it has a reflex mirror that gives you the same image on the view finder eye piece and the view finder electronic screen. When the image bounces off of the reflex mirror to the digital sensor you should see the image that the camera is projecting on the screen or camera eye piece. Light has a direct effect on the way the image is seen with the eyes. Other cameras do not have this specification. The DSLR camera also shots in video increments of ten to eleven minutes. This is a plus for movie and video makers. Some DSLR cameras also shoot in HD and Full frame which gives the small budget film or photographers a Hollywood camera for a fraction of the price. The one drawback of the DSLR is time. The time it takes for the image to reflect from the mirror, cuts off action or sports photo productivity etcetera. Although the DSLR has good picture quality, because of the reflex mirror feature you cannot see the image on the screen and eyepiece at the same time. Some photographers like to adjust or compose the image while shooting. Overall what makes the DSLR camera special is the reflex mirror.       

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

What does a publicist do and what are they used for:

If you have ever read an article about an entertainer or a book about some astronaut flying to the moon, chances are you have encountered the work of a publicist. The role of the publicist is to get the word out. Sometimes it takes years for a publicist to acquire a list of contacts to put a value on their worth. That list of contacts and media connections is what makes a publicist worth the money. To keep it logical, my advice would be that if you did not see it with your own eyes, chances are it could be a lie. If your job is to make money off of getting someone's name on the front page of the newspaper, I am pretty sure you would go to extreme measures. The role of the publicist is just that: to establish relationships with people who like to talk and then get the public to know who you are and what you do. That sums up what a publicist does and briefly describes what they are used for.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Defining the Catwalk:

Ever wonder why when you look up in big theaters it always looks like there is something going on in the ceiling. Well I guess it is safe to say that there is something going on in the ceiling, there is a catwalk right above the front of the stage. A catwalk is comprised of a hanging walkway to adjust the stage lights etcetera. Catwalks are mainly in the big theatres and are rare in smaller ones.  The term catwalk, is also used for the fashion walkway that the models use to exhibit fashion clothing.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

What is dubbing and what is it used for?

When ever a station needs to duplicate a program or commercial for other stations including shows this term is called dubbing. The word dubbing is also used to describe the use of someone else's voice in place of a character or actor in a motion film or production. Every voice you hear in animation is known as dubbing. Dubbing is used in almost every form of entertainment. If you have ever watched Kung Fu movies and noticed different voices from the actual lips moving, that is known as dubbing. Dubbing is used all over the world and in some cases they use dubbing to replace the lines of actors who have heavy accents with a whole different person, while still using the same actor in the film. 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Insight on how to write a Sitcom:

There are many styles of writing and performing that can portray reality. Over the centuries writers have come up with ways to define life, but what about a situation? When discussing a situation you start with something that occurs spontaneous, and you give the audience a simple explanation of the situation. After you explain the situation to the audience on how this event occurred, you may get some laughter because some of the audience members may have experienced the same phenomenon. Some sitcoms use laugh tracks and some don't. This depends on the producers of the sitcom and what they have in mind when writing the shows. Most sitcoms who use the laugh track use them to give more feeling to the punch line. This gives the viewer a more open idea on how a situation can seem complex but is simple once resolved. Then later in the situation once it's resolved, it can be quite comical. Here is an example on how to write a situation comedy or sitcom:
  1. Find a situation in life that seemed odd.
  2. Explain the situation in a fashion that is step-by-step on how it occurred.
  3. Make the situation seem as though it was so odd that it seemed impossible to overcome.
  4. Then conclude it with a huge roach leaving the bathroom with the last bar of soap while your eyes were closed and you were left with nothing to wash with but dishwasher liquid.
  5. Once you cleaned out your eyes you looked around and could not figure out how a roach could do this. It's impossible for a roach to hold soap.
  6. You later found out that the roach has been watching you shower for years and wanted to use the soap to try it himself.
  7. Then explain how you found this out.
That is a small example of a situation comedy. Once you start writing one yourself you will find out that anything can be funny, even three wise men hanging out at the bar to save souls can get a few laughs. Good luck:-D

Monday, January 12, 2015

Understanding the purpose of a Synopsis:

When someone has a creative story, thought or idea, there has to be a presentation or introduction. A story has to have a form or summary to present to others. When developing a synopsis it has to give the publisher or producer a general idea of what your story is about. The traditional purpose of a synopsis was to formulate a plot, write it down and submit it to book publishers for approval. In this process the publisher reviews the synopsis and decides if they want to accept your project or not. The synopsis shows them your level of knowledge about the topic you are covering and if it fits their criteria. A good synopsis should be well written and clearly explain your book or project. A good format for a synopsis has to fit its purpose; which, is to introduce the story to the prospective publisher or producer etc. There are many good examples and formats for writing a good synopsis online.  

Friday, January 9, 2015

A brief introduction explaining the Pixel

Have you ever heard someone say, "look twice and you may see something different?" Well sometimes in art, if you look from a distance a picture may look clearer than it does up-close. In digital art imagine one color (blue) being replicated two hundred million times on a square. If you look at the picture from far away it would look like a blue square. If you come up close it would look like a bunch of tiny dots forming a square. In digital media those little colors forming a picture are called pixels. The variations of light in regards to pixels depends on the type of monitor. You have LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or LED (Light Emitting Diode), each type varying in specifications and picture quality. To introduce the pixel you would have to emit it through one of these types of monitors. To sum it up you cannot have one without the other. This is a brief introduction explaining the pixel.   

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The purpose of the predicate in the field of grammer:

Sentence structure is unique in all cultures. It can be easy to tell where a person comes from by listening to their sentence structure when they speak. Language can be defined, in some sense, on how a majority of people interpret people, places and things verbally. In sentence structure you have a subject that has to form an idea and also modify a subject. Lets use an example: Jody is running for office.  "Jody" is the subject "is running for office" is the predicate. There are many types of predicate structures. In this sentence it would be safe to say that this is a traditional or common structure. The purpose of the predicate is to form an idea or modify the subject of a sentence.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Getting to know the rating system in the United States:

Every country has different standards on how to rate films. The rating system is usually determined by the culture or what is accepted by the people. A good example would be sexual content. In some countries sex is accepted as a way of life and in some countries sex is not to be publicized. The rating system is established on such bases to where some content is not suitable for a certain age group depending on accepted cultures by the people. In the United States the Motion Picture Association of America is responsible for rating the films in the United States. The rating are as follows:
  • G (General Audience) All ages
  • PG  (Parental Guidance Suggested) – Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children.
  • PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) – Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.
  • R (Restricted) – Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian.
  • NC-17 (Adults Only) – No One 17 and Under Admitted.
Since the system is voluntary you can also get a NR or not rated. A lot of independent films go this route.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

The reality of getting into a Syndication:

Since the invention of television and radio, people have dreamed of a hit show. The reality is that the entertainment world is pricy and once that show loses viewers or listeners the producers and top executives start to search for better content. Some payouts are big depending on the market in which the station displays the show. A show should have between 85-100 episodes to consider being in a syndication or before soliciting to any station. The internet has made it to where individuals can produce cheap shows and even have there own channel. The reality of getting into a syndication is simple, you need to have a hit show or something the station can profit from. Another thing to note is that being in a syndication doesn't always mean a payout sometimes there are work exchanges or barter systems put in place. A good tip would be, if there is a payout, hold onto the money because it takes a lot for a show to make a profit.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Understanding an octave in music:

In music there are measures of sounds, a good example would be the piano. A standard piano has 88 keys. The middle key on an 88 keys piano is know as middle C. If you want a higher pitch of sound you play going towards your right. To better describe an octave it is good to note intervals or measures of eight keys in accordance to frequency going higher or lower and the octave being the section. An example would be on a piano, "CDEFGABC," in this example the two Cs would be an octave apart leaving the two Cs of the same pitch class and this being a section on the piano. This will give you some understanding of the octave as intervals in music or sections of measures when reading music.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Setting the Margins for a Professionally written Script:

Scripts can be written how ever you prefer, but if you plan on selling a script to the industry then you have to know the specifications. Here is just one setting that you may need to know: When setting your margins try to have 1.5 inches Left, 1.0 inches right, 1.0 inches top, 1.0 inches to the body, .5 inches to the number, bottom 0.5 to 1.5 inches in regards to the page break. In a word setting you just have to type these numbers into the margin setting in your word document.

For more information on script writing visit: www.oscars.org