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Basic Media Equipment For Filmmaking Enthusiasts

filmmaking enthusiasts

For several film enthusiasts in America or perhaps a beginner filmmaker with zeal to explore the creation of creative and artistic content in the media world, knowing the essential media equipment to have or acquire that fit a fairly reasonable budget can be a bit stressful, yet interesting. There are several variables to consider. So, below are some basic gears for filmmaking enthusiasts.

The first thing to get is a Video Camera, which is perhaps the most essential of them all. It is the centerpiece of any filmmaking gear package, and the camera to acquire depends mainly not just on your budget, but also on the shooting to be done.

A tripod is another great equipment, which will significantly help to keep your footage professional and steady. For smoother-looking pans, a tripod with a fluid head is very crucial.

The next thing you’d want to have is a Camera Light. It extensively helps in filling up ugly shadows, and it’s an excellent accessory to have, especially in a news style shoot or a documentary shoot. Added to this should be a Three-Point Lighting Kit in case you plan to shoot indoors.

Another great equipment to have is a Shotgun Microphone because it prepares you for literally almost every filmmaking situation that needs great audio. Audio quality tells the difference on several ends, and a shotgun microphone is a great option. You can also opt for a Wireless Microphone for more flexibility with your creative endeavors.

Getting a Headphone is also vital, as it helps you monitor the sounds at all times even while shooting. Getting a good one is advisable to avoid unpleasant audio surprises after a shoot.

In addition to all the above, a Light Reflector is a must-have item, especially for your documentary filmmaking kit, as it can turn an amateurish looking shot to an amazingly lit scene.

Acquiring lenses that feature wide-angle, zoom lens, macros, clear ‘protective’ lens, etc. is to be greatly considered as they largely determine the awesomeness of specific shots and images related to distances and angles.

It’s also always nice to make sure you get Extra Batteries, to avoid painful surprises. Three to four batteries are usually enough for most basic shooting scenarios.

Depending on your camera, it’s essentialessential to have your Flash Memory Cards, Video Tapes, or DVDs. You’d need devices to record the footage you’d be shooting.

Lastly, an External Hard drive is one of your basic friends as a filmmaking enthusiast. It’s great both on shooting scenes where you might need to offload your footage from the memory card of your camera and off-shooting scenes for easy storage.

In sum, you don’t need to acquire all heavy gadgets for starters, as these basic media gears are a great start that’s sufficient to get you effectively creative.

Tips For Finding The Right Career Path

Tips For Finding The Right Career Path

There’s a point we all get to where we begin to consider what career is best suited for us. Some refer to it as their calling, others think it’s what they were made for. Whatever you choose to call it, we can all agree that your chosen career has to be something you enjoy doing. Are you considering what career to choose? Or perhaps you’re already on a path but need to change. You are in safe hands. Take a look at the following helpful tips when choosing the right career.

You may have some options in mind already. So, first, make a list. Write out the possible career paths you would love to venture into. You can make different lists based on these questions.  What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? And what would generate a suitable income for you? You can also make more lists based on your personal preferences.

Now, conduct a career assessment. Examine each of your options by comparing the lists. Shortlist those that appear the most among them. Create a short and long term mental picture of yourself taking up each of the shortlisted careers. Select those where you like what you see through your mind’s eye.

After selection, the next course of action is to get familiar with the field. Engage in activities related to the careers left standing. Take up internship offers and training, and see how you perform. Here, you can decide which is practically the most suited to you.

The short trial period in internships might not be enough to determine your success in that career. So, you should talk to experienced people or mentors in that field. They can give you an overview of the career path, and also give you good advice. Since they are more experienced, they can give you firsthand information on what to expect in each field.

Deciding on the right career path can’t be done overnight. There’s no need to be hasty. Take your time to plan out what’s best for you. If you feel like the path you’re on isn’t the right one, be free to consider making a change. With the tips given here, you’re sure to make the best choice.

How To Ace Your Job Interviews

How To Ace Your Job Interviews

It’s natural to feel nervous when you have a job interview scheduled. You might feel uncertain about how you would perform or whether you can make a lasting impression on the interview panel. Well, have no fear! With the tips provided here, you can be sure of a winning strategy to ace job interviews every time!

The first tip is to prepare. Your level of preparedness goes a long way in determining the outcome of an interview. For instance, make sure you know all that’s in your résumé by heart. Make adequate research on the job you are applying for. Understand the metrics involved and the functions to be performed. Familiarize yourself with possible interview questions and provide adequate answers to them beforehand. You should also know the company you’re applying to, who they are, and what they do.

The next thing you should have sorted out is how you’d look on the day of the interview. Your appearance is the first impression that would be had of you, so you want to kill it. Dress well, look good and professional. Arrive at the interview location before the assigned time. Take a look around and familiarize yourself with the environment and people there.

The last and probably most important thing you need to ace the interview is confidence. Take a deep breath. There’s no need to be nervous, especially if you have prepared. Stride confidently into the room and show the panel the value you would add if you’re hired. Answer all questions asked thoughtfully and thoroughly. Speak calmly and confidently. Your goal is to ensure that the panel sees that you’re the best person for the job.

An invitation to a job interview takes you halfway to getting the job. However, how you perform determines the other half. The primary purpose of interviews is to assess who you are and what you can do. You have to give it your best shot. Think up possible situations and questions, get prepared, appear comely and professional, be ready to show them your worth, and go get that job.

The Frightening Number Of Sexual Assault Allegations Against Trump

Trump

United States presidents have often been accused of sexual assaults or extramarital affairs, but no American president has faced the number of sex allegations Donald Trump has faced. Since 1978, more than 25 women have accused Donald Trump of rape or sexual assault.

Barry Levine and Monique El-Faizy went further to publish the book titled; “All the president’s women: Donald Trump and the making of a predator.” The book contained about 43 allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump.

The book was not the only book to contain some of Trump’s sexual allegations. Jean Carroll also published her book titled “What do we need men for.” The writer documented her sexual assault by Trump though the billionaire denied the claims and accused her of promoting her book with the allegations.

In May 2016, the New York Times went further to conduct 50 interviews with women who had close ties with Donald Trump during the career. The report was published in the article “Crossing the line: How Trump behaved with women in private.” The report recorded a mixed reaction from the women, with some taking the sides of the president while others discussed their ugly encounter with Trump.

Trump’s divorced wife, Ivana, was one of the alleged victims of Donald Trump. The allegation of the sexual assault resulted in their divorce in 1990. Ivana has often been quiet about the allegation, citing a confidentiality clause in their divorce, which prevented her from discussing their affairs in public. It is commonly believed that the two later became friends years later.

Jill Harth is also one of the women who have accused Trump of sexual assault. She filed a lawsuit against Trump in 1997 though the incident occurred in 1992. Harth accused Trump of non-consensual groping of her body and relentless sexual assault. Harth also made it clear that the assault was non-violent. Trump also denounced the allegation and tagged it “malicious.” In 2016, Harth later worked in one of Trump’s rallies as a makeup artist.

Other women such as Jessica Leeds, Kristin Anderson, Lisa Boyne, Mariah Billado, and Victoria Hughes have also accused Trump of sexual assault though some voiced their opinion through the #MeToo movement, a platform where women voiced out their oppression.

Donald Trump was not the first American president to be accused of sexual misconduct. Washington, Jefferson, and William Henry were believed to have sexually harassed their slaves, while others such as Bill Clinton, George Bush, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy were accused of sexual assault by various women.

Undoubtedly, Donald Trump’s controversial reputation affected his support while in office, and no America’s president has faced such a long list of sexual assault.

The Motion Picture And Video Industry In The US

Motion Picture

The motion picture can also be referred to as the movie or film. It is a series of still pictures on film being displayed in quick succession on a screen through the means of light. With the persistence of vision, it gives the illusion of continuous and smooth movement. It has become perhaps the most influential and popular media of the 21st century. It is now further developed as an artistic and creative expression in diverse areas like cinematography, music, acting, screenwriting, costume, and design, of which all is quite prevalent in the US.

What It Produces

The United States motion picture industry is known to produce some of the world’s feature films and recorded TV programs as we know it. Also, the industry is noted to further produce music videos, documentaries as well as commercials. Post-production services include film and tap transfers, editing, credits, titling, subtitling, closed captioning, animation, special effects, and computer-produced graphics.

The industry is influenced by many large studios, which are mostly based in Hollywood. However, with the ever-growing popularity and worldwide availability of cable TV, computer graphics and editing software, digital video recorders, and the Internet, other independent filmmaking companies have emerged to fill the increasing demands for entertainment content.

Revenue Range of the US Motion Picture and Video Industry & the Key Players

A good idea can be summed up to the year 2018, when the industry generated its highest revenue from TV programs to domestic licensing of rights, as it brought in over a whopping 15 billion US dollars, and the estimated total revenue for that year amounted to 69.9 billion US dollars for the entire US motion picture and video production & distribution industry. Since 2005, the estimated revenue generated hardly ever falls below 60 billion US dollars, and that’s largely accredited to the big industry folks like Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Sony Pictures, and Warner Media, who have been successful in the business.

In sum, this goes to say that the Motion picture and video industry in the US is booming with no signs of slowing down, as it remains relevant in also accommodating prospective giants and highly artistic and creative media enthusiasts in a fertile industry.

Only 12% Of Americans Are Healthy – And It’s A Concern

Americans Are Healthy

Food insecurity has never been a challenge in the United States, but nutrition insecurity appears to be an epidemic. While the former is concerned about providing more food, the latter is concerned with providing the right food. The US healthcare budget may have tripled from 6.9% in 1979 to 17.7% in 2020, but the problem remains unsolved.

Three out of four Americans are overweight or obese, according to the Centre for Disease Control. Besides, nearly half of US adults have diabetes. A 2018 study quoted by CNN revealed that only 12% of America’s adults are metabolically healthy. The troubling figures showing the deterioration of Americans’ healthcare isn’t so difficult to identify; “Too many calories,” says Barbara Gollman, a registered dietician who used to be the spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

“In 1978, a teenage boy in the United States drank about seven ounces of soda a day. Today, he drinks nearly three times that much, getting a whopping 9% of his daily calories from soda,” Eric Schlusser wrote. The regular intake of diets loaded with cholesterol, salt and sugar, and fats and calories has created a more unimaginable situation for the United States.

The problems seem to be on the rise with about 170,000 Fast-food restaurants and 3million soft drinks vending machines spread across the United States, ready to gratify the natural cravings for sugar and fats. The situation is also not helped by the fact that about three out of four Americans have an eating pattern that is low in vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils.

The implication of citizens paying less attention to what they consume has come at a very high price. The Federal Nutrition Research Advisory Group revealed that unhealthy diets kill more than half a million people each year in the United States. By August 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, United States recorded nearly a quarter of the virus’s deaths.

Healthcare in the United States needs more attention than it is getting. Much of that responsibility lies with the citizens who may be required to pay better attention to what they consumer. More awareness must be created by appropriate agencies to ensure the epidemic is handles effectively.

 

Reasons Why Companies Choose To Stay Private In Recent Times

WeWork IPO

Over the years, companies used to anticipate the times they would go public on the stock exchange floor. Going public for companies was the trend. Many company owners would dream of gonging the bell to open trading at the New York Stock Exchange. But, in recent times, there has been a paradigm shift. Many companies now prefer to stay private. Statistics even show that the number of companies that stay public dropped by 52% from the late 1990s to 2016. Here are some insights into the reasons for this latest trend.

Securities and Exchange Commission

It is essential to know that there is still an increasing passion for entrepreneurship in these times. But the idea of making companies go public has dropped abruptly. One major reason why companies now want to stay private is that they want to avoid the increasing numbers of regulations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is widely believed that the regulations are restricted to companies that trade publicly. So, to avoid being bound by these restrictions, they decide to stay private.

Another reason companies choose to stay private is to keep their business(es) in control. Privately traded companies are always able to exercise a higher level of control over their business. For instance, when they go private, the business (es) can be kept in the control of a select few or family members. So, these companies are not subject to the influence of any shareholders.

Furthermore, companies choose to stay private to avoid the volatility that is faced by publicly traded companies. That is because employees of privately traded companies can focus on their jobs. They don’t have to worry about the “ups and downs” of the stock market.

Again, companies often choose to stay private to avoid the substantial risk of an initial public offering. However, this is not to say that IPO is bad. It is very effective for companies that have access to large capital. But it is always very risky for companies that are just growing. The WeWork IPO debacle is an example of one such hazard of IPO.

In conclusion, a company can either go public or private. Both options are beneficial and viable. The most important thing is that companies should go for what best suits them.

Great Features On Facebook You Probably Didn’t Know About

Great Features On Facebook You Probably Didn’t Know About

With almost 2 billion people logging in on Facebook daily, it has become the most prominent social media site in the world, made by the billionaire American genius, Mark Zuckerberg. Despite this large number of consistent users, many aren’t making most of Facebook’s great features that can help extensively in living in the 21st century.

First, many Facebook users are not quite aware that they can discover the data Facebook has stored about them. It is no news that words are flying around on how big companies use personal data available on Facebook, which doesn’t make its users pretty comfortable. However, one can access one’s personal Facebook data by downloading it via visiting the Facebook Information tab. You can download not only the information but also decide what should be deleted and the info you no longer intend to make accessible for collection.

You can also create a fundraiser on Facebook, which helps extensively to broadcast your cause to your Facebook friends and ask for donations. Fundraisers on Facebook can be located in the News Feed Menu, where instructions for the necessary details to be filled are present.

It will further interest you to know that on Facebook, you can find an easy way to get a new job, and all you have to do is visit facebook.com/jobs. After this, you can adjust the filters by distance, job type, and category, which channels it down to your preference for subsequent application.

Furthermore, on Facebook, you can choose who gets to be your ‘legacy contact’, which means choosing an individual that can take control of your account in cases of emergency or the worst possible scenario – death. They can delete your account, turn it to a memorial or even send messages on your behalf. This feature can be set up in Account Settings.

Lastly, in cases where you see a post or info that strikes or interests you, but you’re unable to read and go through the post, Facebook affords you the ability to save links/posts for later readings. All you need to do is tap the three dots at the top right of the post and then go ahead to select ‘Save Post.’ They can be viewed later on the ‘Saved’ menu, which is on the left side of the desktop newsfeed. It’s also easily locatable on the main menu when using smartphones.

In conclusion, knowing you can easily do all the above on Facebook enhances your social media experience and helps you make the most of Facebook features, which can help you in real life.

Roles Of The Stock Market On Investment

Roles Of The Stock Market On Investment

The stock market is coming together of buyers and sellers who trade in stock. It is nothing like a grocery for buying bread or meat. Firstly, the solitary option is not just to buy stocks; stocks can as well be sold. Secondly, there is a more thorough process for trading in the stock market. One has to go through a licensed brokerage to buy or sell a stock. This brokerage then make trades on your behalf.

Not far behind the stock market is the stock exchange. The Stock exchange is an infrastructure used to aid the buying and selling of shares. It can also be defined as a traditional medium or marketplace where securities, like stocks and bonds, are exchanged between a stockbroker and a trader. It is considered as the key component of a stock market.

55% of Americans are invested in the stock market.  A percentage caused by the great depression of 2008. As of then, 62% of America’s adult population owned their stock. Stock investment is strongly dependent on household income, formal education, age, and race. The stock market is not limited to individuals. Big companies are the major players in the stock market. Companies are often seen aiming to be listed on a reputable stock exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or Nasdaq for attractive reasons.

Some of the benefits of the stock market to listed companies include liquidity for the company’s shareholders, stock option plans that can be put in place for employees, and listed shares that can be used as currency by the company. These might be the reasons why large companies are public rather than private.

Over a long period, stocks generate investment returns that beat every other asset class. Returns on stocks can then be realized through capital gains or dividends. Capital gains are shared profits of publicly-traded companies. And the dividend is the amount given per share of stock one owns. Another way investors profit is by selling their stock. Usually, this is done only after the price has increased.

In conclusion, one major player in the stock market that links participants and acts as financial advisors is the stockbroker. What they do is to buy and sell stocks on behalf of their clients. Their role is, however, more sophisticated than that. Other roles include investment adviser, financial adviser, wealth manager, or investment professional. They are people to be trusted for a smooth investment ride in the stock market.

How Jeff Bezos Made His Billions: A Guide To Self-Employment

Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is popularly known as the founder and CEO of Amazon, an online store and multinational technology company. He is also the founder of Blue Origin, a sub-orbital spaceflight services and aerospace manufacturing company. Bezos launched Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore, and it has since grown to become virtually an everything store.

Are you self-employed? Is your business not moving as quickly as you’d hoped it would? Let’s examine some of Jeff Bezos’ top qualities. Without a doubt, they’ll kick start your journey to success.

Learn to take reasonable risks. When Jeff Bezos started out, he exuded a willingness to undertake risk. Having a regular paying job at D.E. Shawn on Wall Street, he gave it up to pursue his dreams. He began the company at a Seattle garage, despite it having a 30% success probability. There were prominent physical book stores that owned the market at the time. However, he believed taking his business online was going to overtake them. And it sure did.

Become more resourceful. Bezos was very resourceful and had a clear vision for expansion. Studying the current trends at the time, he realized the Internet was the way forward and took advantage of it. After three years of selling just books, he expanded the company to include audio and video CDs. In subsequent years, he kept adding more products to the store. Bezos had a clear vision of what he wanted from the onset, and he remained relentless in spreading his branches to virtually everything.

Again, if you’re going to succeed as a self-employed entrepreneur, you must master the art of adaptation and immediate response to setbacks. Did you know that, in 2002, Amazon was at the brink of bankruptcy? Hard to imagine, right? But, at that point, Bezos responded adequately to the situation. He closed down some distribution centers and laid off a fraction of the staff. With other strategic actions put in place, Amazon was back on its feet the following year.

The life and journey of Jeff Bezos to wealth is definitely a must-study for anyone self-employed. There’s a whole lot to learn from him. Have a broad vision, be ready to take risks, and take strategic steps to overcome setbacks, amongst other. With the right mindset and actions, you can be on the path to excellence in your self-employment career.