How to make a background image in a film look real using a matte.

Ever wonder if the background of a good scene in a movie was real? Have you ever saw something in a movie that looked so real in the background but it made you think twice? To answer your questions if you answered yes or no, the possibilities that what you saw was real are about 20%. Most movies use what they call mattes, which are images or just covers that are inserted to make what you are watching look real. Mattes have been around in the movie business for a long time and I don't think they are going away anytime soon. If a director is trying to save money or just cannot afford the location then chances are that what you are seeing in the background is a matte. To simplify what a matte can do, take a picture of a cat with a black background then place black mattes around the image so only the head of the cat is showing. When you edit the image it will look as if the cat has no body. If you want to get fancier then take the head and place it on a human body and it will almost look like you have a human with a cat head.

Thinking about becoming a Videographer?

The term videographer makes people think that the job is simple. Okay, all you have to do is put video sequences together, "Wow!" Actually the job of the videographer takes time and patience. A videographer has to know a lot about technical equipment; here is a little taste of things that they have to know:

1. How to edit video to make it appeal to the audience.
2. Have some knowledge on cinema, hardware, cameras, computers, editing software, audio devices and a load of other technical equipment that comes with the package of making good videos.  
3. Know video terms like progressive or interlaced etc.
4. Understand the speed at which a camera is shooting and be able to slow it down or speed it up to create the vision that the director is trying to portray in the minds of the viewer.

Anyone can be a videographer but those who do it for a living know that you have to stay at it for a while to master it. Even when you get to the level of mastering video and being the jack of all trades, the wise know that you can never know enough. Videographers are like money that you spend but will never have enough to pay for what the job is really worth. The catch is that a good videographer just has a passion for what they do but will never feel that they are getting what they are worth because no one knows what they know but those who do what they do. To sum it up, if you see someone wearing sunglasses in front of a computer at 3 AM and you know there is no sun outside. There might be a good chance that they're editing video.

The purpose of the alto pitch vocal.

When listening to a song you will notice changes in the vocal pitch throughout the song. The term alto is the high tone. Just like rhythm, tempo or other measures of music, vocals have measures as well. In a solo piece, which is one singer on stage, an alto usually sings at a very high pitch sound and sings very high notes. Such terms are used to segment music in categories from low, medium and high pitch sounds. This keeps things organized so that the musician or singer can comprehend the levels at which they are to deliver the sounds. The purpose of the alto it to deliver a high pitch sound when singing.

How entertainers get paid.

Some people always think the life of an entertainer is easy but actually it's not. Entertainers have to entertain to get paid. Most entertainers start out poor and have no life at all outside of the stage. The truth of the matter is that everything you are watching them do cost money and if they cannot draw a crowd to pay for the things you see then they are worthless in the business aspect of the matter. Here is an example:
Annie just got her first gig in a movie. She stood out and only had a few lines. The movie was an independent project and Annie did not get paid for the project. The director of the film got the movie produced and people not only liked it but they loved it. Annie now goes from being an unknown actor to a celebrity overnight. She is getting calls from directors all over the world to be in their films. Annie now will need an agent and also people to manage her demand. Her price tag as an entertainer went from $0 to $1,000,000 if she can continue to stand out. She will need body guards, good friends, good business associates, and good lawyers. Everybody she gets on stage with will be worth money.
To sum this up, this is the life of everyone who you see on any screen or stage whether local or national. Everything they do is in the spotlight and every illegal download, every bad press, and every flop leaves them with less money to continue on supporting their fans. That is the business of it but the truth is that the person who is on stage is still an individual that yearns and would do anything for love.

Identifying the Hi-Hat

Instruments have names, each name identifies the instrument, then when played the name identifies the sound. The Hi-Hat is part of the drum kit in the percussion group. It has two cymbals mounted on a stand and has a pedal used to hold or clash the cymbals. It makes a direct sound similar to the sound of two tea tops clashed together. The hi-hat is used in many different genres of music, it is identified by open or closed hi-hats, which is when the two cymbals are together or apart. You also have the pedal hi-hat, which is when the pedal is used to strike the two cymbals in regards to playing and reading music.

Using the comma

The English language is organized and requires practice to get it right. Different cultures create confusion when it comes to proper punctuation and grammar. The comma is used when writing your thoughts down for others to interpret correctly. Here is an example: "Brian, who is such a critic, is always getting himself into trouble." In this sentence there are pauses that have to be present, so we use the comma to show those pauses. The purpose is so the sentence is read like it is spoken. This helps the reader comprehend the dialogue between parties clearly.

For more information on comma use visit: http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp 

How to make a good Trailer for your Movie or Theatre project

A lot of what people decide to watch is determined by the trailer. Formatting a trailer can be even tougher because you have to compose a number of clips so people will want to see your project. There are a lot of companies that make trailers but just in case you decide to do one yourself here are some tips:

• Format your trailer just like a theatrical play: Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3 for example
• Take clips from your project and place them is a story format just as if you were telling a story, an example would be: Beginning, climax and ending.
• You may want to add some sound effects, voice overs or music within your trailer to make it appealing to the viewer.
• If you are trying to get in the big leagues of film trailers, the Motion Picture Association of America usually requires the trailer to be no longer than two minutes. If you are using it for internet or home use then go as long as you want but I recommend no longer than three minutes.

Six ways on how art can be used to combat evil.

One thing you can say about entertainment and art is it has made the dream of people working together in all walks of life possible. Although many great entertainers have been lost along the way, art continues to strive at getting people to unite. Each genre of music, movies, fashion and theatre has its own meaning that gives the viewer the ability to comprehend the message. Here are six ways to use your skills to combat an issue or evil act:

1. Make a song that can bring people out of a situation that seemed impossible to get out of and use the lyrics of the song to do it.
2. Paint a picture of a place that was once a place of torment but is now a place of peace.
3. Rap about a place that you dream of and create a drum pattern that will make a little child with nothing play alongside of you.
4. Write a script that will make one survivor of a genocide become the leader of a new nation.
5. Design a dress that will be presented on stage or in a play that will remind everyone that art is a gift and if used wisely can create eternal wisdom.
6. Give a speech about the facts and explain how you where able to overcome.

Five tips on how to build a fan base.

Every artist starts out in the hole, rather they are rich or poor. The artist is never rich because keeping things alive takes money and loyal fans. Although money is important fans are even more important. The key is to maintain that fan base which takes a while to build up. Here are five simple ways to build a fan base:

1. Use social media to get in contact with loyal friends who you know will support you and be at your shows. Try to get them to invite others.
2. Get e-mails and contacts so you can keep the people already supporting you informed on your next shows etc.
3. Use as much free press as you can and let people know your mission as an artist.
4. Perform or sign books at charity events and never hesitate to do goodwill shows or signings.
5. Be yourself, support those who support you and ask your fans what they like. 

Bonus: Then let the good Lord do the rest:-}

Tips on how to make money off of poetry .

Many poets struggle to get their talent published and they even have a hard time making a profit off of their work. Here are three creative ways to make money off of your poetry:
1. Put your poems on T-Shirts to sell.
2. Put music behind your poems to promote and sell them.
3. Place your poems on calendars or in frames and put them on the market.
All of these methods should give you a creative way to sell and promote your poems, if you want to take it a step further, get them copyrighted.

How some cultures alter words to mean different things (Bread and Slang)

Every culture changes through time but really nothing changes but behavior and creativity. In the inner city, on the farm and even in Washington they use slang or words that alter the meaning of another word. Here is an example:
"All this "BS" in DC is driving me crazy. They spending all of my hard earned bread on stuff that don't got nothing to do with me. They need to get it together before I bus a cap. If God broke bread why can't we."
In this term the person used slang to express themselves. They are using bread to explain money, bus to explain shoot and cap to explain bullet. They also used DC and BS which is an adult term for Bull S**t and DC meaning the capital of the United States. Slang words often give more flavor to a subject and really can be fun if used properly and at the right time homie. "You ant fresh az um izzz lil duggy."

The difference between Analog and Digital.

The movement of electrons is called current. Current flows through wires, resistors and other devices designed to transmit electricity. This process is seen everyday in this new modern age. When referring to analog and digital you are referring to quantity or how much current is flowing through a wire or circuit. Analog refers to quantity while digital has a set amount. A good example would be turning up the volume on your radio, that is an analog signal because you are adjusting the quantity of the sound wave flowing to your speakers. Then you have the digital signal which has a set quantity. Think of 1 and 0 or on and off. You allow one unit of electrons to flow to turn on the light. Then you allow zero units of electrons to flow to turn the light off. This is the difference between analog and digital.
For more information visit: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question7.htm

How can I get the Media to publish my story?

Journalist have the job of taking everyday stories and bringing them to the forefront with words. Over the years the media has been hit hard with the emerging digital age and many journalist have had to find work elsewhere or find another craft. For a story to get the attention of the editor or journalist it has to have feeling and make people want to know what, who, why, when and where. Stories that are often published are things that no one would expect to happen. It's strange but most people seem to love a good story that they can discuss with others. If you want to get your story out there sometimes it helps to have a reporter or editor at your local media outlets that you are familiar with, this usually helps. It is also helpful to release a press release and follow up especially if it is an event. Try to keep in mind that freedom of the press is for the public to bring certain issues to center stage.

A simple way to explain a Record Label.

There are many record labels in the world, most are independent and three are considered major record labels. A record label is considered the brand or trademark that the artist, manager, engineers and producers are under. To make this seem simple, take a pen, put a fancy looking symbol on it then take it to a lawyer and pay him or her to put it in some files so no one else can make the same fancy looking symbol on your pens. Then if someone does use your fancy looking symbol the law will be in your favor because you paid the lawyer. Now all your have to do is replace the pen with an artist and the fancy looking symbol with a label and you have a record label. All of the incentives that come with that label rely on sales and the ability of the artist to please his or her fan base.

Some key tips on using Semicolons and Colons.

The English language has rules and structures that can make things clear when communicating on paper or in person. One example is a semicolon (;). the semicolon is used to combine two complete sentences. An example would be: Susan is a genius; her record of accomplishments is off the charts. Another punctuation is called the colon (:). The colon is used most of the time when listing items or examples. An example would be: 1. I just used one or 2. This is the example.


For more information on colons and semicolons visit: http://www.gcsu.edu/writingcenter/colonrules.htm

How the Media uses certain terms (Red Herring) to describe specific conversational situations.

If you are a news guru then you need to know a few things about conversation. One important argument technique is what they call, "Red Herring". Red Herring is when you divert a topic from one important subject to another to win an argument. This happens a lot in political interviews when a candidate is asked a question, but does not want to give a straight answer because they have a different objective or hidden agenda. A good example of a red herring would be:


Interviewer: "What is your take on border issues?"
Interviewee: "I think we should open the border."
Interviewer: "In an interview with CCC you said we should close the border."
Interviewee: "Yes, but I also recommended a tax on border patrol and if I can get those cuts then our economy would grow much faster in the next three to four years."


If you notice the interviewer asked a question on border patrol and the interviewee did not want to answer the question so they diverted the conversation to tax cuts. This is what Media speculators call a red herring.

Some important terms in theatre.

One thing you will learn about a craft, hoppy or job is that they all have their own language. Theatre has terms that give relevance to the nature of the business. First lets start with the wings: the wings are the right and left leaving areas of the stage. Most wings have hanging curtains that hide the actors exiting or entering from stage right or left. Next lets focus on the greenroom: the greenroom is the room where the actors gather before they are set to enter on stage. Depending on the theatre, every greenroom is different, some still use the traditional green color which originated in London theatre. Another term you may hear a lot of in theatre and entertainment is acoustics, this refers to how the sound quality is within the theatre or area where the entertainment is presented. The acoustics can depend on the size, walls or even the type of material used on stage. It's also important to note that the section where the audience is seated is known as the house. This area, in some theatres, is sometimes used in the production to allow the characters to bring the audience off stage and into the action.
For more theatre terms visit: http://teachers.oakarts.org/~mberry/Theatre+Vocabulary+List

Using Prepositional Phrases

In languages all across the world people need to describe things. English writers often need to modify nouns or pronouns so they use words like: below or inside. Using a prepositional phrase is simple, just try to describe what you are talking about and "boom" you did it. A good example would be: The dog ran inside the house.
For more information on Prepositional Phrases visit: http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/prepositions/Prepositional-Phrases.html

The inside scoop on filming permits and finding a location to film.

Filming permits can be obtained through a filming office within the city, some cities don't have one at all. To film at a location, usually the director just gets permission from the person in charge at the location. There is a slang term called gorilla shooting, when a director films random scenes at a location without permission. If you ever see some actors and a small group of people jump out of a minivan in a park with a camera chances are they're gorilla shooting. In most cases the film never turns out as planned but getting the film done is the goal. Good footage is really the main goal of the person editing the film. It is also important to note that every state has different rules on governing a film or production company. These rules usually only apply when you are filming on private property. Most of the time you do need a permit or permission to shoot on public property.