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You might well know how favourable circulating your businesses short format video is. For a firm’s owner, video commercials are a helpful means that can help to capture your customers’ attention & substantially boost the number of visits to your site. Short format video commercials are considerably good in attaining the target consumers’ fairly short attention. Furthermore, if codes are integrated and video sharing is encouraged, videos can be a terrific way to get one-way incoming links and thus positively affect your websites’ rankings on Google.

In actual fact, video commercials have become an excellent medium for business or self-advertising. The following are some tips to circulating your own online video clips.

Firstly, you can post your short format professional videos on your own web site; however this would entail you to find your own video hosting arrangements. Ask your online hosting solutions supplier if video downloading or video streaming services are supported.

Video downloading is where your company users must download your short format video commercial to their computer hard disk. They need to download the video to their own computers before they can play it using their computer’s video player or a downloadable video player application. There are many video downloading service merchants that are reasonably inexpensive. There’s also a progressive downloading mechanism where your viewers can play the videos while downloading them.

While video streaming on the other hand utterly does away with the requirement to download the short format videos & permits instant playback so it gives the most use to your visitors. For sure, getting a video hosting company that supports video streaming can cost you a pretty penny. Vidify can work effectively to deliver white-label online video production and publishing solutions.

Finally, the more trendy way to circulate video commercials is by posting your sites to video distribution web sites which possess their own video hosting infrastructure. These web sites cost you nothing to join and will sometimes pay you to upload video content. What’s more, also have a huge audience base & grasp; for instance, YouTube acquires around seventeen million Web users each & every month.

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Videos on the Web are a good instrument to market your company’s products & services. Sure, there are numerous other marketing strategies around from editorial writing to blogging, from PR to e-mail. But nothing says “cool, connection, & creativity” like an Internet video.

Each month more and more businesses of all sizes are creating professional videos about their products. They are not only putting them on their company sites, but They’re posting them on their blogs. To gain global twenty-four-seven coverage, professional videos are being posted to a lot of video-sharing sites like that of YouTube & Metacafe. And why not ? it is free, easy-to-do, and can have an important difference, in some cases, on the traffic it brings to your firm’s site.

There are various other reasons why video commercials are a terrific way to promote your firm.

Professional videos benefit from an extensive circulation: Videos by their own nature are straightforward to “package” which means they are just right to be added to a selection of different distribution circulations. You can add them on your businesses site or blog, you can upload them onto your laptop and show them time after time at a selected company show. You can upload them to hundreds of online video-sharing websites. You can burn them onto DVDs and give them away or sell them. You can even send them by email.

Promotional videos are an effective way to communicate. As our knowledge of technology evolves, so do the ways in which companies like to interact with others. Most individuals are visually oriented meaning that is how they best understand and interact with their world. This makes professional videos the perfect advertise strategy to communicate with today’s consumers.

These are just some of the many reasons why Internet videos might be a fabulous way to promote your firm’s products & services. Find out more about this area to see how you might leverage your precious time, assets, & energy to communicate with your target industry in an inventive & appealing way. Vidify is a video production company that specialise in creating short format online video commercials for local independent neighbourhood businesses.

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We’ve all seen the terrible stories on the news of children being kidnapped or worse. You do your best to protect yours, of course, but is it enough?

One of the first things you need to teach your children, of course, is to not talk to strangers. However, you need to make sure that they understand that you mean it for all situations. Strangers have been known to ask a child to help them find a lost puppy, or other similar tactics, which may fool even a well trained child. Help your children to understand that. Another tactic is for the stranger to offer the child money to do an errand. Tricks like these are ones your child should be aware of.

By now, you have probably also heard that it is good to have a password so that your children will know if it is true that you have asked someone - even a family friend - to pick them up. This is a good rule, as children may be harmed by people they know, not just strangers. It’s not fun to think that someone you trust could do something to harm your children, but it is a reality to be faced and to be prepared for. Most parents will never have to face that, but others will.

Perhaps one of the most difficult things is deciding how to handle it when a child needs to use the restroom, and you are not able to follow them in. Do not be afraid to shout into the restroom to ask if they are all right. Whenever possible, of course, do not have your children use a public restroom alone. Bring a friend for them if possible, if you are not able to go in with them.

You should also make sure your children know to make a fuss, even if they don’t think anyone will hear them. Teach them to head for places where there will be people if they are isolated. Children should know to find a police officer, security guard or an employee working in a store and ask them for help. Failing that, a parent with children is a reasonable choice.

The number one safety tip for children, of course, is to not be afraid to tell YOU! Tell them it doesn’t matter if they were breaking a rule at the time or were told not to tell, they must feel free to tell you if someone has done anything they are uncomfortable with. Be ready to listen, and try not to appear angry, as your children may think your anger is directed at them. Make sure they know it was not their fault and that you will do everything possible to keep it from happening again. Then file that police report and quite probably get counseling, not only for your child, but for yourself if you find the situation more than you want to think about.

About the author:

Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there’s more to staying home with your family than just business. From money saving tips to parenting and marriage tips, to work at home jobs and businesses, you can get information and support here. You can visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com

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What you need to break into the industry is a well produced demo; this is a demonstration of your potential performing various scripts. It shows producers & voice agents what you sound like and what you are capable of; it is, in effect, your portfolio or ‘audio CV’.

Your demo should include the following: commercials, trailers (or promos, as they are sometimes called), announcing and narration - which is anything from audio books to a documentary read, via an on-hold telephone message.

Voice-overs are made up of three elements:

1) the sound of your voice - its ‘timbre’

2) the way you interpret a script and

3) marketing.

All are important, but your first priority should be to record that demo (in CD and/or mp3 format) and showcase your natural voice quality, along with the unique way YOU bring a script to life. But hey, what if you are not used to reading aloud?

Practice at home and read anything and everything; news articles, magazine pieces…..even children’s stories. Try and match your voice style to the appropriate scripts - it’s no good a soft, gentle voice being used for a powerful, hard sell ad! Ask yourself: “what do I sound like? Am I posh, urban, or light/deep voiced?” It is what you sound like that is important, not who you are.

When it comes to experience, you have to bear in mind that each job you take on will be new; I attend sessions where I have never seen the script before and am completely unfamiliar with the style of reading required. All voice-over artists have to rely on the audio producer to guide them in the right direction to achieve the desired performance. Experience in this business is learnt on the job, but you have to start somewhere and that is why it is a good idea to have a demo, showcasing your potential. You could even make it at home using your computer, a mic and a sound card.

‘Voice-over’ is a broad umbrella term covering many different jobs from voicing ads, TV announcing, narrating documentaries and corporate videos right through to voice prompts and on-hold phone messages, interactive media, podcasting and everything in between. So the range of work is highly diverse and the job of an agent, producer or production company is to match the voice with the project; your voice demo effectively becomes your audition piece in this process. You will be successful at some, but not others; it all depends on what they are listening for.

Then start marketing. It’s all about the blood, sweat and tears of sending your work out to as many agents, production companies and producers as possible. It is no good having a fantastic demo if it just sits on your bookshelf!

So now it’s time to get recording and let the world hear what you sound like. Good luck!

With over twenty years experience, Gary Terzza is one of the UK’s best known voices. His clients include Channel 4, BBC, Channel Five and ITV. He also runs a popular voice-over masterclass.
http://www.vomasterclass.com

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As a writer, you must exercise your exclusivity… and we’re not talking about copyright …

To make an impact, your book’s message must stand out from what’s inside all the other paper sandwiches stacking the counters at Bones and Narble (and all the other Elvises of the bookselling world). How exactly is this done? Well…

A Writing Exercise for Your Inner Nut Case
First, think of a bright color. Now — Right Now — stand up and take a bow. That’s right: we’ll bet you’re the first person on your block to do this today. Congratulate yourself! Honor your innate goodness! You are the only you there is! And that’s only the beginning…

Remember when you were a little kid and you were in touch with your Inner Nut Case? You’d have these crazy ideas about new stuff to do, and you wouldn’t consult an expert — you’d just go straight to the closet, find your big brother’s cowboy boot, turn it upside down and screw it onto your head like a hat? That’s just the sort of thing we’re talking about… That same Inner Nut Case is just waiting in the wings to work wonders on your publishing message.

Rewrite your message right now, from the point of view of your Inner Nut Case…

Don’t wait - innovate!

Because everybody likes new stuff.

WARNING: DO NOT book a flight to your big brother’s closet. Instead, book a flight of fancy — write down 6 wacky things you’d do right now if you knew for sure that nobody gave a piddlin’ two pennies one way or the other. Flex your originality!

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In the period May 2003 til May 2004 I entered eight writing contests. I short-listed in six and placed second in two of those six.

It was all a major shock to me. I always thought my writing was fairly mediocre; nothing special, and certainly nothing spectacular.

It all began when my writing group ran a workshop called “Taking Risks with your Writing” about three years ago.

Like most writers, I love to read. I still recall hiding under the covers with a torch (flashlight) most nights, and being roused out around midnight by my parents to get to sleep. But I usually read the same sort of books over and over. Nancy Drew was my favourite in those early years, then as I grew into my teenage years, Agatha Christie took over. These days, my absolute favourite author is Australian writer, Peter Corris.

Are you beginning to see a pattern here? All these books are mysteries of one sort or another.

So what, I hear you say.

The point is, I mainly read one type of book.

At the workshop we were encouraged to read genres we wouldn’t normally read, and to write material we wouldn’t normally write, or hadn’t read that much. So that’s exactly what I did.

I read fantasy, comedy, sci-fi, suspense, crime, romantic suspense, romance. I even read some heavy ‘literature’. And you know what? I liked them. In fact, I liked them so much that I decided to start writing across genres, to ‘give myself permission’ to write in a whole new way; to evoke a totally new voice, and to write what I liked to write, rather than what was expected.

The next step I took was to analyse other successful writers’ work. What was it they did that I didn’t?

Janet Evanovich’s successful Stephanie Plum books were high on my hit list. So I read them, and read them, and read them. They were funny, they were pacy, and they were addictive.

Finally, I had that long awaited ‘ah-ha!’ moment. It had to happen eventually; at long last, the little light bulb lit up.

Janet Evanovich wrote what people didn’t expect.

Huh?

I began a new journey. I turned my methods around; I began to spatter humour into my writing, to create larger than life characters, and I began to ‘think outside the square’. When I wrote something ordinary, mundane, or expected, I would sit down and brainstorm better outcomes. I refused to write to formula and I always endeavoured to surprise the reader.

I now have a very unique voice, one that differs with everything I write. While I’m writing, as my plots unfold, one part of my brain is screaming ‘be different, be unique!’ as I type. And it works.

Prior to that evocative workshop, it was intimated that I needed to have one voice, one style, and write in one genre.

Well, too bad - I don’t, and I won’t!

As a new writer, other people placed many restrictions on me:

“Romance is written to formula.”
“You can’t combine romance with comedy.”
“Comedy and mystery just don’t mix.”
“First person writing isn’t acceptable these days.”

What a load of old rubbish!

As a much more experienced writer, I put a hex on all this restrictive nonsense. It’s a little like having steak and three veg for dinner every night; you quickly get sick of the same meal night after night. Well dear writers, your readers tire of the same ol’ same ol’ in every book they pick up.

So what am I suggesting? Don’t write to formula; don’t write the same as the last writer, and the next writer, and the next…

Use stunning first sentences, exploit strange and weird endings - dare to be different; get your work published, win that contest, and earn that book contract. ©

Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she is the owner of the Writer2Writer.com website and the Writer to Writer monthly ezine for writers. (http://www.writer2writer.com) She is also the author of a series of ebooks for writers. Her romantic suspense novel “Saving Emma” was released January 2005 by Whiskey Creek Press. Visit Cheryl’s website: http://www.cheryl-wright.com

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Words are fun. I especially like the word “oxymoron”, which is a contradiction of words. I find them to range from very serious to very humorous, and all fascinating in their intent to communicate.

On the news last night, I heard the words, “military intelligence.” There is nothing intelligent about sending the U.S. military to Iraq. Our military should be used for something truly intelligent, like cleaning up hurricane “war” zones.

My spouse and I each had a shrimp cocktail before dinner last night. They were jumbo shrimp. Since jumbo means very large, and shrimp means very small, I was confused, but the shrimp were delicious.

Amicable divorce is one of my favorites. No matter how magnanimous people are, I don’t know of anyone whose divorce has been friendly.

How about adult male, or logical female? I’m not going into too much detail here, for fear of an amicable divorce.

If you’re tired of reading those outdated magazines while waiting in the doctor’s office, grab that small spiral notebook from your back pocket, along with your favorite pen, and start writing down as many oxymora as you can think of. This will keep you from calling the doctor’s office staff a bunch of morons for keeping you waiting two hours because they overbooked patients.

Happy writing!

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From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Goldfinger (1964)

FADE IN:

Hero’s capabilities and Ordinary World: Bond sets up the explosives; takes off the dive suit to reveal a Tuxedo (he is a chameleon able to cross Worlds).

Hero’s status: women look at him.

Hero’s ethics: “at least he won’t be exporting heroine…”

Hero’s capabilities enhanced: Bond looks into the lady’s eyes to see the villain behind him. His ability to fight; his intelligence: he uses the electric fire to kill the villain in the bathtub. Hero’s wit: “shocking…”

MUSIC:

Herald brings the Call to Adventure: Felix delivers a wire from London re: Goldfinger.

Meeting the Antagonist: Goldfinger sits down to pay cards.

Hero / Antagonist battle: superior intelligence causes the Hero to win.

Antagonist motivated against the Hero: Goldfinger snaps the pencil.

Reward: Bond gets Jill.

Hero pushed into the Journey (Unbearable Antagonism): Goldfinger kills Jill.

Refusal of the Call: Bond’s boss admonishes him for “stealing his girlfriend…”

Threshold Guardian: Moneypenny.

Meeting the Supernatural Aid: the Dinner.

Magical Gift: the brandy and the gold bar; Backstory of the Antagonist: Goldfinger’s operation analysed.

Magic Carpet: the Aston Martin (from another mentor, Q).

Border of the First Threshold: agreeing to play golf with Goldfinger.

Meeting the Antagonist’s fearsome Lieutenant: Oddjob. Hero wary of the Lieutenant.

Inner Cave: Hero / Antagonist battle: Bond beats Goldfinger at golf. Characters and natures exposed: Goldfinger cheats and Bond uses intelligence.

Consciously making the decision to push toward the Physical Separation: Bond plants the homing device.

Warning against the Physical Separation: Goldfinger warns Bond.

Threat of the Lieutenant demonstrated / Foreshadow of future conflict: Oddjob shows what he can do with the hat.

Physical Separation in the Magic Carpet: now in the Swiss Alps driving the Aston Martin.

Trial 1: Tilly Masterson shoots at Bond.

Trial 2: Meeting the Sword: Meeting Tilly.

Viewing the World of the Sword from a distance: viewing the building.

Entering the World of the Sword in the dead of night and stealthily in the Wolves Clothing: sneaking into the building dressed in black.

Trial 3: finding out about Operation Grandslam.

Seizing the Sword: capturing Tilly.

Night Sea Journey: Pursued by Oddjob et al and captured.

Pushed toward the Near Death Experience: being led into Goldfinger’s lair.

Threshold Guardian: the old lady.

Resisting the Near Death Experience: Bond tries to get away.

Near Death Experience: nearly being lasered in half.

Reward: meeting Pussy Galore (Shape Shifter).

Developing relationship between hero and Shape Shifter: Bond tests Pussy.

Triggering Convergence: bond activates the homing signal.

Letting go of the Old Self: Bond changes into new clothes.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: Bond tells Pussy what will happen if she shoots the gun.

Stunted Convergence: Felix et al get a fix on the homing signal; but they decide to wait.

Foreshadow of the Apotheosis: Bond sees Pussy’s flying babes.

Pushed towards the Atonement: taken to Goldfinger by Oddjob.

Prevented from the Atonement: Bond put in the cell.

Preparing for the Atonement: Goldfinger tells his pals he plans to break into Fort Knox.

Pushed to the Atonement: Bond escapes the cell.

Atonement with the Father: Bond finds out that Delta 9 will knock out the guards.

Pushed toward the apotheosis: Pussy captures Bond.

Evil of the Antagonist demonstrated: Goldfinger kills his mafia pals.

Convergence Activated: Bond plants the note with the homing signal for Felix to find.

Evil of the Lieutenant Demonstrated: Oddjob kills and crushes Solo and the homing beacon.

Obstacle to the Convergence: Felix et al the homing signal.

Shape Shifter and Antagonist confrontation: Goldfinger and Pussy talk.

Apotheosis: Bond finds out that Goldfinger plans to nuke Fortknox.

Ultimate Boon and Shape Shifter turns: Bond and Pussy make Hay.

Antagonist’s plan proceeds: the girls take off and spray the gas; Oddjob lasers through the doors.

Magic Flight: Goldfinger runs.

Refusal of the Return: Goldfinger’s soldier wants to take the fuse out of the bomb; Oddjob won’t allow it.

Rescue from Without: Bond escapes.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Bond tackles Oddjob (catharsis 1) and tries to switch the nuke (catharsis 2).

Master of the Two Worlds: Bond faces Goldfinger in the aircraft; Goldfinger gets sucked out (catharsis 3). Bond and Pussy parachute out of the aircraft (catharsis 4).

Freedom to Live: Bond beds Pussy.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop

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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://www.clickok.co.uk/

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