Posts

Showing posts from May, 2019

Amazing Tips for Supervising Student Teachers

Image
Within your teaching career, there might come a time whereby you are required to give direction to a student teacher. This might be for an entire semester, a quarter, or a whole academic year. All in all, undertaking some prior preparation can lead to a rewarding experience for all the involved parties. This text, therefore, highlights some of the techniques that can be used to supervise student teachers. • The orientation of the institution and introductions Spare some time to ensure that the student teacher gets acquainted with important people within the institution. These include the principal, office staff, custodian, health assistant, any other crucial staff members he or she is bound to interact with regularly. Ensure they know the location of the workrooms, places to store their items, copy machines, etc. inform them about the required dress codes (especially ladies), the procedure for calling in sick, in addition to start & end times. It would be better even ...

Producer Jordan Oorebeek talks working with Chris Buck Band and passion for music

Image
Jordan Oorebeek naturally has a strong ear for music with a great relative pitch, which is part of what makes him such an extraordinary recording engineer, mix engineer, and producer. That innate talent, combined with sheer determination and consistent practice, has allowed him to become one of Canada’s most distinguished individuals at his craft. “I played in a few bands in my teens and I enjoyed it, but I knew there was something more for me than playing in a band. Once I began writing my own songs and working with my band on the demos, I realized how much work it took to produce a song. I quickly learned how hard it is to make a ‘good’ song and I wanted to learn how to create that sound. What makes a song radio ready? How would I achieve this with the tools at my disposal? Those were the questions that pushed me toward my dream of becoming an Engineer/Producer,” said Oorebeek. Throughout his career, Oorebeek has shown time and time again just why he is such an in-deman...

6 Core Reasons People Fall Short of Their Retirement Goals

Image
People often underestimate the need to save for their retirements. A lot of families are also guilty of putting away measly amounts every month, thinking they are doing enough. This false sense of security hits them hard when they are years away from their actual retirement. They are either forced to live a life of poverty or continue working well past their age of retirement . To be able to plan your retirement, you first need to know the pitfalls that prevent people from achieving their retirement goals. Retiring Too Early Early retirement is a pretty popular goal. However, retiring early is only an option for the rich or people who plan their retirement flawlessly. Early retirement means you get fewer years to save for your retirement. You will also need to financially sustain yourself for more years than usual retirees. To understand how much you really need to save for early retirement consult professional retirement planning specialists who can analyze your goals...

Producer Jamly Yang on never giving up and ‘The Screenwriter in the Restroom’

Image
With every project Jamly Yang takes on, this renowned producer and director analyzes every aspect, making sure every single person can achieve their best work the moment they step onto her film set. This, she says, is the key to her success, as she is a detail-oriented filmmaker. Such an approach is vital to leading a cast and crew when working on a cinematic production, which is the most important aspect of her job. Yang is a sought-after filmmaker both in her home country of China and abroad, and truly loves what she does. No matter the project, she knows how to transform it into a success, which she has done on award-winning films like The Invisible Superman and Billy’s Bear , as well as commercials for brands like Doritos, Nike, and Alpha Browser. One of Yang’s first tastes of international success was the 2016 drama The Screenwriter in the Restroom . The film tells the story of a young screenwriter who is eager for the success of his career and hides in different ...

6 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Burnout at Work

Image
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, often brought about because of excessive or prolonged stress. It can happen when a person is feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet the constant demands of their job or life in general. If the stress is allowed to continue, you’ll lose interest and motivation. Your productivity is reduced, and your energy is sapped, leaving you feeling helpless, hopeless, resentful, and cynical. It can affect all areas of your life, including work, relationships and social life. Thankfully, burnout can be prevented. Here are six ways you can reduce the likelihood of it happening to you. Believe in Yourself Believing in yourself is called self-efficacy. It’s a belief in your own ability to accomplish your own meaningful goals and tasks. People with higher levels of self-efficacy tend to be less stressed in challenging situations. If a person believes they can cope in a certain situation it becomes les...

Interview with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gregg Schellack

Image
Dr. Gregg Schellack is an orthopedic surgeon based in California. He currently practices at the Sutter Coast Hospital. He received his medical training at Des Moines University in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was a resident at Loma Linda University, and he interned at the Naval Medical Center at San Diego.  Dr. Gregg Schellack is passionate about helping patients overcome pain to as great an extent as possible. His practice ranges from high school students with sports injuries to elderly people with arthritis and other debilitating conditions. He takes the time to treat each patient like family, taking their home life and activities into consideration while creating their treatment plan. How did you get started in orthopedic surgery? When I was a teenager, I was often injured while playing high school football. I ended up spending a lot of time with my local orthopedic surgeon, and I became fascinated with his work. I looked up to him a great deal and w...

Tianying Jiang: Touching Tales of People and Animal in Film

Image
Most audiences never understand the power and importance of having a great editor on a film. Conversely, most directors are incredibly attached to working with editors they not only trust but whom also challenge them. As in any great partnership, equal amounts or support and inspiration make the whole better when it comes to filmmaking. Editor Tianying Jiang has a number of “true believers” in the directing world. Two very different recent productions in which she has served as editor validate her exceptional talent. A new beginning and a new ending are not vague terms when applied to the award winning film Ms. Piggy and My Wife is a Chicken . When she became frustrated with both films not achieving their highest potential for maximum emotional impact, Jiang created a new direction for these films; ones met with overwhelming gratitude from her directors. As the editor herself states, “I always believe that editing is more like problem solving. There are problems which occur during th...

The Uneasy Benevolence of Hangar’s Limb with Xiaoyuan Xiao

Image
Sometimes the evolution of technology and the human spirit are symbiotic; often occurring in the face of great obstacles. The US Civil War would dramatically change the design of prosthetics. This is simultaneously a benevolent and disheartening aspect because the need for a better solution was so prevalent after the horrific battles and losses of this war. The filmmakers of Hangar’s Limb wanted to display this significant period in a personal manner. Xiaoyuan Xiao (aka “Ivy”) was the producer driving this for the production. In addition to a great script, the resistance to making this film due to the main character’s background was a reason Xiao wanted to take on the task of creating it. In a society and industry that can sometimes seem blind to its own political correctness in rejecting important stories, Ivy strove for the integrity of the story itself over appeasing vacillating temperaments. The first battlefield amputee of the Civil War would end up changing prosthetic...

Lang Zhao Explains The Resonance Project

Image
The artists who innovate are never the ones who “play it safe.” These forward thinking creative types are often deeply consumed in their own world and receive critical praise long before the public en mass follows suit. There are not many music groups comprised of only two members; even fewer who fall into the genre of instrumental music. This premise did not deter drummer Lang Zhao and Bassist/Guitarist Yas Nomura in forming The Resonance Project; of course, these are two very uncommon and extraordinary musicians. Both are multi-instrumentalists who served multiple roles in the creation of the band’s self-titled debut offering. Released in June of this year, The Resonance Project was awarded a 5 out of 5 rank by PROG magazine who stated, “This album definitely stands out as one of the best debut albums of the whole modern progressive scene”. The album ranked #3 in metal/ progressive category; leading drumstick company Vic Firth (owned by global cymbal giant Zildjian) to feature vide...

The Complex Ethics of Creation in Producer Yuanhao Du’s Patrick

Image
One unique and very satisfying quality of film is that it allows a story to be presented as if it is reality, even if only for a short while. When done expertly, it exceeds mere entertainment to become a medium to move the audience emotionally and inspire introspection as well as debate. As mankind’s relationship with science evolves, movies which explore the possible consequences allows us a deeper means of consideration. Patrick is a film which displays how cloning might effect both clone and humans. The story goes deep to present ideas that question what is life, awareness, and responsibility. An Official Selection of the Marina del Rey Film Festival, Arizona International Film Festival, Pasadena International Film Festival, and others, Patrick has already accumulated awards from the New York Film Awards, Los Angeles Film Awards, South Cinematographic Academy Film & Arts, and many more. The story is deeply moving and forward minded. The film’s Executive Producer, Yuanhao Du, w...

Dara Zhao and Her Dangerous Animals

Image
When watching the 2019 film Animals, it’s nearly impossible to not become overwhelmed by the emotional situation of the main characters. The life of a child soldier is painful enough but the situation which the young female protagonist finds herself in is excruciating. The presentation is exactly what the filmmakers intended, fueled prominently and manifested masterfully by the film’s production designer Dara Zhao. The PD confirms that when approached with the idea by Director/Writer/Producer Chen-wen Lo, she understood it to be a film she had to help create because of its importance. Artists in front of and behind the camera are a sensitive group who care deeply; those who are talented like Zhao can move the hearts and minds of the public with films like Animals. An essential ingredient for great art is passion. While the passion of the actors on the screen is clearly evident, those like Zhao who contribute this ingredient behind the scenes is palpable throughout the entire p...

Hannah Ryan: Australian Angel with Much More Below the Surface

Image
You might intuit that being a successful actor is a matter of predestination; talent meets timing. The truth is that it’s much more complicated and a matter of careful design. Australian born Hannah Ryan certainly has the skill and charisma of a leading actress; add to that a resume which includes plays and film productions that span different countries and continents with respected theater and film companies. Her upcoming appearance in Van Alden Studio’s Science Fiction film Brixton bears witness to her greatness as well as reinforces a lesson the actress learned long ago, you’ve got to know exactly who you want to be in this industry. Her admirers range from Indie filmmakers to Disney execs; confirming that this young actress has the chops and versatility to stand out in the age of modern filmmaking. From Sci-Fi to the theater stage, Ryan’s magnetism is undeniable. It’s often said that if you’re not moving forward you’re falling behind; Hannah’s foresight and dedication to growth is...

The REASN for an Extraordinary Guitarist: Adam Skeppar

Image
Even as the music business explores new ways to navigate the constant changes in technology and the industry, great talent perseveres. Though many will tell you that it’s harder than ever for a “hired gun” musician to make it these days, guitarist Adam Skeppar is one of the most sought after and coveted in the modern music scene. Creating his prominence with an evergreen approach of talent, tenacious work ethic, and versatility; Skeppar is the late 2010s version of musical gunslinger in the lineage of Steve Lukather and Steve Vai. Though he has proven a number of times that he is capable of the pyrotechnics which thrills guitar geeks, a major contributor to his jam-packed calendar is his tendency to sideline this in order to best serve the song. Adam concedes that the artists whom he works with will unleash this part of his musical personality from time to time to the delight of the fans. Listening to his playing on recordings or live in concert is literally witnessing a master artist...

CGI Artist Ken Liao on creating surreal landscape for Shawn Mendes video

Image
Nowadays, every single thing we see on the big and small screens, from epic blockbusters to national commercials, involves the use of CGI to better convey their messages. Whether that is creating all new worlds or giving humans superpowers, to simply removing an unwanted coffee cup from a finished shot, CGI has become one of the most vital aspects of film production. Taiwan’s Cheng Wei Liao knows this better than most, as he is one of his country’s leading CGI Artists. “I used to create and draw comics for my peers and myself. Back then, I could only build up my imagination using just a pen and paper, but now there is so much more available to us. I found out that I have the ability to visualize the imagination of the clients on screen with my CG knowledge and skills,” said Liao. Throughout his career, Liao has worked on countless acclaimed productions that show worldwide audiences just what he is capable of. The Daytona 500 Superbowl commercial won the Outstanding Prom...

Andrea Zannetti is what AIRBNB, Sony, and Canon Have in Common

Image
Digital Content is likely the most vital part of promoting any product or service in the modern world. Connecting and cultivating an awareness and relationship with the public is a necessary element of success in the modern world. The experts who lead this field have a skill set which is applicable to virtually anything; toothbrushes, films, phone service, you name it. Andrea Zannetti is known for her exceptional ability to create success, even when previous failure seemed completely defeating. Portraying the Hollywood dream, capturing your dreams from behind the camera, or nearly any other conceivable concept; these all fall within the scope and ability of Zannetti to capture the public’s attention and interest. When done most effectively this seems effortless; this visage is only achievable by masters like Andrea. Part sociologist, part psychologist, part marketing expert, and one-hundred percent masterful digital content producer; Andrea has been sought out by an eclectic array of ...

Yuanhao Du directs and produces his award-winning film ‘On the Other Side’

Image
Yuanhao Du still remembers the exact moment he fell in love with movies. He was only six years of age when he first watched RoboCop , a young Chinese boy who didn’t understand the words that were being said but was captivated by what he saw on the screen. He created his own story for the characters, imagining he was the one making the movie. Every time he watched, the story in his head change, and he became enchanted with the idea of one day making a movie of his own. Now, as an internationally sought-after director and producer, Du is, in fact, living that dream that he set out on when he was only six. Known for films like his award-winning drama Patrick, as well as Speeches of Freedom , A Mother’s Love , and many more, Du’s versatility as both a director and producer make him a force to be reckoned with. “Film is another kind of language. It is so powerful. It is magical how it makes people believe what the filmmakers want them to believe. You can talk to a man for th...

Piecing Together America’s Future Famous: Angus Emmerson

Image
Whether you work in television, music, or any other creative industry, becoming a hit is only part of the struggle. It takes an immense amount of talent and hard work to get noticed; it takes even more to stay there. While the faces on television hits like American Idol and American’s Got Talent are essential, they are only the most obvious part of their success. The massive community of artists and professionals behind the scenes are the iceberg factor that comprises the eighty percent of work and talent that you don’t see. Editor Angus Emmerson has contributed his time and skill to both of these TV institutions. It’s often his work which is the first thing viewers see. Working closely with Simon Cowell and the producers of these programs, Emmerson is a vital part of why audiences are so excited when these shows come on the air. One of the surest indicators that you have reached the level of status that permeates all of society is when you are referred to with only one name...