Internet Video Clips Can Be Outstanding for a Company’s Earnings
You most likely know how favourable circulating your firm’s online video is. For a firm’s owner, online video clips are a worthy means that can help to capture your potential clients’ attention and increase the amount of traffic to your firm’s website. Video commercials are enormously successful in attaining the target customers’ very short attention span. Furthermore, if codes are used and video sharing is promoted, short format promotional videos can be a marvellous way to get one-way links & thus positively affect your businesses position on Google.
In reality, Internet videos have turned out to be a great media for business or self-advertising. The following are numerous tips to distributing your own Internet video clips.
Firstly, you can post your Internet videos on your own company site; however this would entail you to find your own video hosting arrangements. Instead, ask your web hosting solutions provider if video downloading or video streaming services are supported.
Video downloading is where your business visitors need to download your Web video to their hard disk. They need to download the Web video clip to their own PC before they can play it using their personal computers video player or a downloadable video player application. There are a lot of video downloading service businesses that cost not much. There is also a progressive downloading mechanism where your Internet viewers can play the Web videos at the same time as downloading them.
Whereas video streaming on the other hand absolutely does away with the requirement to download the online video clips and permits instantaneous playback so it presents the most convenience to your visitors. Obviously, getting a video hosting business that supports video streaming can cost you a pretty penny. If you are searching for corporate video production companies in London then talk to Vidify.
Finally, the more trendy way to distribute promotional videos is posting your sites to video distribution web sites which possess their own video hosting infrastructure. These sites cost you nothing at all to become a member & will on occasions give you money post video clips. What’s more, also have a big market base & grasp; for instance, YouTube acquires around 20 million visits each and every month.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Create Amazing Illustrations and Drawings in a Second
Microsoft Word 2003 has probably one of the most powerful drawing and illustration utilities around short of other full-fledged drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand.
The miracles start when you display the DRAW toolbar by selecting View > Toolbars > Drawing from the main menu.
The AUTOSHAPES drop-down list alone can go a long way towards creating your “masterpiece” illustrations because it’s got so many options, all configurable through other buttons on the same toolbar. BY selecting a drawing object and piling up different effects from other buttons, you can create an almost infinite variety of shapes and drawings, embedded right inside your text document.
AUTOSHAPES offers the following options: Lines, Connectors, Basic Shapes, Block Arrows, Flow Chart, Stars and Banners, Callouts, More Autoshapes (which opens up the Clip Art collection in a neat sidebar).
Here is how you can pile up different effects to obtain very pleasing and complicated illustrations:
Let’s assume you have selected an Block Arrow shape from Autoshapes.
MS Word will insert a canvas for you. Now your cursor has become the arrow tool and is ready for you to draw an arrow. Click and drag your mouse to draw the arrow automatically. As you can see, this arrow has no color. Let’s make it RED.
Select the arrow by clicking on it. Then select the color RED on your BUCKET tool. Click the bucket and your arrow is now RED.
Let’s also say you’d like to have a 3-D arrow. That;s very easy too. Click and select your arrow again and then click the 3D Style button at the far right of the DRAW toolbar. You’ll be presented a great many 3D effect choices. Click one and zap! You now have a RED and 3-D arrow!
You can easily multiply the number of effects and all the crazy possibilities by experimenting with the DRAW toolbar arrows. You’ll soon be addicted to this very powerful but very well-integrated smooth drawing utility and use it often.
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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years. In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI). You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs. You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited, PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS 2006: |
Avoiding Seminar Dogs: How To Pick The Right Session To Attend
My email is overflowing with seminar information about programs at upcoming trade shows. I’m like every one else whose time is at a premium. How can I maximize my time when I am at the show? How can I stay informed with the latest innovations?
Almost every trade event now has a conference track that runs concurrently. These are usually well publicized in advance so have time to register and in most instances are able get a discount for early registration. In some cases the conference is in advance of the actual show so it doesn’t detract from time in front of the exhibitors. In any case it’s wise to plan your conference schedule as early as possible.
Look at your travel agenda and determine how much time you can set aside to attend a conference session/s. Review the program information. In most cases there will be a very diverse selection of offerings. Look to see who the session is targeting. If your title or job description is listed then it’s a good bet this is something you should attend. Check out the speakers and their
companies. Are these the people you want to meet? Can you benefit from their expertise? It’s easy to check out your speakers by doing a GOOGLE search. Type in the presenters name in quotations and see what turns up.
Is the session presenting “fresh” material or trotting out some old “has been” that hasn’t had a new thought in 20 years? Note: many of the conferences do not pay speakers; they hope that companies will provide speakers for free to promote their products and services. So it’s important to determine whether
this “content” is worthy of your time or is it just a company “advertorial.” In my opinion, most of the time these sessions aren’t worth investing your time. Watch out for “free” sessions too. Unless this is a “paid” expert hired to increase show attendance, it’s usually not worth going.
Can you access the information or material in any other way? I know in my case when I speak its based on recent research which I turn into a report that can be purchased after the event. Many times you can find an article or report for purchase that covers the same subject also. Look for sessions with information that you can’t get in any other way or ones that have a “stellar”
selection of presenters. If you can’t attend a particular session, find out if it will be repeated or how you can access the information after the event.
See how long the session will be and at what time of day. Can you combine a session with your lunch break? Breakfast sessions have now become very popular. Why not eat and learn at the same time? Is the information something that can benefit others in your organization? Get some brownie points by coming back with valuable insights.
If you have no reference point for any of the sessions, look to see who is a sponsor. Is it a company that has a good reputation or a trade organization that you respect? You can always call them and ask about the speakers or the event. You can even complain to them if the speaker is a “dog.” So whatever seminar you decide to attend be sure and plan early and maximize your time at the event.
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Writing 101: Research that Novel
How do you start writing a novel?
The first thing I do is decide the genre and the setting.
I suppose you saw some version of Back to the Future. Here the setting is changing not because of location, but because of time period. Flashing back or forward changes the appearance of the same location. The setting is new, isn’t it?
Genre is the type of novel you are writing. That could be a western, action, romance, detective, mystery, gothic, or what ever you decide to dream up.
Science fiction would be another genre.
Did you notice a possible change in the genre in one version of Back to the Future? The kid on the skateboard changed to a gun-totting westerner. Well, it was still science fiction.
The setting is where the action takes place. If the action is in the present, you will not have a great deal of research to do on the time period of the action. However, if the action takes place in 1850 or 130 B.C., you must do research on that time period as was done in Back to the Future.
Once you have decided where the action is to take place and in what time period, you can define your characters. Here are some things to consider:
Names:
Does the name of each character fit into the location and time period?
Don’t call your Viking raider, Joe.
Try Eric the Mad or some such.
Language:
What would the language be of your character?
If he lived in 1750 in London, what phrases would he use?
What would he sound like?
That will depend on his class won’t it?
A London cobbler would not sound the same as the Captain of the King’s Guard would he?
What about the King himself?
How would he sound? What vocabulary would he use?
Here is a Warning:
Don’t write a period novel if you are not willing to obtain the education and knowledge you will need to write it.
The key to good writing is to write about things you know and understand.
Of course, if you are writing science fiction, you can do anything you darn please as long as it “rings true” to science fiction readers.
That’s why the advice often given to writers is to read heavily in the genre in which they intend to write.
That’s one way to get an education, isn’t it?
Dress
If you met a man in Walgreen wearing a silver body-tight jumpsuit and having antenna sticking out of a gold helmet, you would think: That guy isn’t from here!
If your character walks into a Wild West bar in 1850 wearing a green suit, you will have some explaining to do. My guess would be that he is Irish and will be asking for a Guinness. Note: Guinness started in 1759 but I doubt that you would find it in the Wild West in 1850.
Dress must be consistent just as language is important. You need to know the local dress, not some stereotype dress you saw in a “B” movie.
Dress is also characteristic of vocation and class. A banker, a blacksmith, a millwright, etc., would all be differently dressed in the same location during the same time period.
Early settlers from Texas in Arizona could be told by their hats.
Other Factors:
If your character is a nurse, you must know something about how a nurse performed at her location and during her time period.
Don’t have that soldier shoot someone with a Winchester during the War of 1812. Oliver Winchester was born in 1810.
Each character needs a history. A person’s history at least in part determines his or her actions. You may never mention such a history in your novel, but you must know it.
Each character needs characteristics. You may never mention most of them but you must know them. These are the things that in combination make your character distinct from all other characters in the world. Take Superman for instance or Henry the Eighth.
The bottom line is that all things must be consistent and logical if you want your novel to fly.
If something is strange, you have some explaining to do.
How to do Research
The easiest way to do your research is by reading in your genre.
I don’t like reading most novels. Therefore I do research on the time and place.
I like to start with a map of the area. Then I like to read the history of the area even before the time period determined. I read history books, old magazine articles, Internet articles, etc. I like to visit the area and visit museums and historical societies. I like to talk to the people, especially the old timers that have significant tales to tell.
Go into book stores, yard sales, book sales, junk shops, antiques shops, and other places you can pick up magazines and books for a song. Look at the stuff they are selling in antique shops and ask about the history of unusual items. The way you do that is to say this: What is that thing?
In a way, it is much like being a newspaper reporter. I like to search old newspapers for interesting stories to see what other “reporters” have done.
Look in old encyclopedias, catalogs, and almanacs. You will be surprised what you can learn.
When I was writing Revenge on the Mogollon Rim, I decided to read one of Zane Grey’s novels, the settings of which was in the areas near my home in Arizona.
I knew something about Zane Grey because I was a guide and worked on exhibits for the local museum.
I expected to help in the rebuilding of his cabin that was destroyed in the Dude Fire. However, I moved from the area (Payson, AZ) before that task was started.
Anyway, I was reading his novel and came up on a phrase that didn’t seem right to me. It was a view his character saw from the Mogollon Rim. I didn’t think he had it right. I drove to the Rim and parked very near the place he described. Then I saw that Zane Grey had described the view perfectly. Mountains don’t move that fast.
It’s a good idea to know your subject, your location (setting), and your characters before you start writing the novel. Well, don’t let that stop you. You can fill in the blanks later.
Just don’t let some bold character take over your book.
Writing, how to write, setting, characters, language, characteristics, history, time period, research
John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”
More info: http://www.tjbooks.com
Business web site: http://www.aaaflagpoles.com
Screenwriting: Commonalities in Great Screenplays
The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon - understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
The Hero’s Journey:
Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.
The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.
Great Screenwriting
Great screenplays tend to follow the Hero’s Journey; another thing they have in common is that they tend to extend one or more stages of the Hero’s Journey:
In Die Hard (1988), The Physical Separation is extended by a number of explosive action sequences, instead of the normal one.
In Out of Africa (1985), Karen’s Atonement is compellingly drawn out: the trip with Denys.
In Shawshank Redemption (1994), we go off piste and engage with Brooks’ story for a while: when he is released.
There is method to the above extensions; they serve valuable tangible, structural and story purposes…but they have the added effect of making the story a little special and less predictable.
Learn more…
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/
Writing Fiction: Developing Your Book-length Story
When you feel you have a great idea for a long story, it’s wise to think about the end result of your efforts before you begin the process of writing. Ask yourself some questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- Will my ideas provide the foundation for a rich plot with interesting characters?
- What backup plan will I use to protect my work?
- Do I have sufficient time and energy for this project?
If you feel your ideas are worthwhile, jot down the story in a couple of sketchy paragraphs, then use those sentences as a guide to create an outline. The outline should contain short sentences that describe the events of your story in sequential order. The outline then becomes the blueprint for your project. It also provides protection for your plot, and helps you to remember details, in case other commitments take you away from your writing for a significant amount of time.
Use the Margins
If you begin writing your story with paper and pen, leave margin space on each side of paper. That practice will provide an area for making notes and keeping track of key points involving your plot and your characters. As your story grows in length, you will be wise to create notes in the margins that remind you of details involving your characters so that you can create cohesive threads throughout your story.
Computer Backups
If you are writing your story in electronic form, be certain to maintain at least two copies at all times. Many writers have lost their manuscripts due to accidental deletions and faulty media. You may also want to store your work in two separate locations.
Feedback and Direction
You may want to obtain objective feedback about your story early in the writing process. You can find direction by signing up for writing courses, and by joining a writers group. Do a Web search for writers’ groups in your area. Some groups organize regular conferences, which provide opportunities for individual writers to have one-on-one meetings with reputable agents and editors. Honest, objective feedback from a seasoned professional may help you determine whether you’re writing for your own pleasure, or if you have a story with commercial appeal. Be judicious when sharing details about your story. You wouldn’t want someone else to use your ideas before you have a chance to write them down.
Andrew McQuinn creates tools and information for writers and Web publishers. Find free resources at http://www.icantgetpublished.com, and at http://www.buttonland.com