By day I'm a user experience designer. By not-day, I head the collective of talented writers, actors, and video artists who publish sketch comedy at brevityTV.com.
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Nice person: “Hi all, I’m having a party. Please come.”
Los Angeleno response: “I will definitely probably try to swing by for a bit.”
Brilliant move, aspiring Tarantino! You have reassured me that you are sooooooooo busy. (You must be important! ) And you’ve reminded me that if you show up, I will be very lucky! And, of course, you’ve cemented the fact that if I should be so lucky, you will need to leave quickly, because you have other places to be, because you are sooooooooo busy! (You must be important.)
Just so you know, here’s how the rest of the country responds: Yes. Or, perhaps: No. While nowhere near so cool, either of these answers allows the inviter to know how many deviled eggs to make.
This is a guest post. Avery Bale is a business analyst and media consultant writing on behalf of the Limehouse Recording Studio in London. Avery dabbles in writing music using his midi-compatible 1991 Yamaha piano and an old version of Sibelius composition music software. Avery can be reached on Google+ when not composing his latest masterpiece.
When it comes to recording your music, you have a number of options in front of you. You could get yourself down to a recording studio, pay out for the expertise and equipment use, and get the results you want. If not, you could buy in all the equipment you need and do the recording yourself. If you are considering whether to go down the DIY route for recording your music, there are a number of considerations you should take into account before you splash out on some pricey hardware and software plug ins. In the following article, we will discuss some of these and hopefully shed some like on the best option for you.
One of the first things you need to think about is the cost. Although be careful, you shouldn’t confuse cost with value. If you go out and spend an amount of cash on home recording equipment and you find you don’t get the results you want, it’s money down the drain. Of course you may have financial constraints, but you shouldn’t go for the seemingly cheaper option and not get the results you want.
To give you an idea on the kinds of costs that are associated with creating your own home recording studio and a professional studio session, below are some figures that have been taken from various providers:
The home recording starter kit
You can go with a bundle kit; this is advantageous in that you know the hardware and software will be compatible with each other and generally this is a lower cost option. The other option is to buy the components separately; this is probably for the more advanced and knowledgeable buyer, but could yield a better quality bundle with distinct enhancements in required areas. Looking at various starter kits available, prices range from as little as £200 all the way up to, and sometimes in excess of, £1,000. It is safe to assume that the lower end is less likely to give you the desired recording quality.
Professional studio
There are various ways to pay for the recording studio sessions, but one common way is by the hour (or in hourly bundles). To give you an idea on the costs that could be involved, we will consider one particular provider www.recordingstudiolondon.co.uk, (although many recording studios we looked at were in a similar price range). This provider uses the following pricing range:
Studio with standard engineer is £325 for the first 9 hours – each extra hour is £35
Studio with senior engineer is £395 for the first 9 hours – each extra hour is £40
Studio with senior engineer, musician and producer is £495 for the first 9 hours – each extra hour is £55
Agreed, a recording studio, ran by a professional, could seem like the most expensive route to take (given you could be looking at multiple sessions over a period of time with various professionals involved), but this is not always the case. Consider the DIY route, without the skills and experience of the professional recording engineer, how long are you going to spend tweaking and manipulating the audio to get it right? Will you be able to give yourself a space to do the recording which exhibits the right acoustics? Do you have the same quality of equipment that will capture the sound in the way that you really want?
There is another issue to consider and this is focus! If you are recording at home, you have all the time in the world, you are in a comfortable environment and the pressure is off. These may all sound like positive aspects, but to put another spin on it, you could lose focus and determination. If you organise and pay for a set time in a recording studio, your focus and determination will be enhanced. You will be well prepared in order to ensure you get the best value for your expense. Your songs will be prepared and well-practiced, you will know what you want to get out of the session, and your recording engineer will be briefed and ready to get you the results you want.
Before we rule out the idea of getting your DIY recording studio set up, there are some benefits to obtaining the equipment you would need. Firstly, going down the recording studio route is expensive and can only offer a finite amount of recording time. Once the session is over, if you don’t have the result you wanted, you need to pay again and hope you get there. If you have invested in the equipment, you have time on your side. You can tweak, practice and change all the variables to get the sound you want.
Another point to consider is mixing. If you have the skills and the equipment, you could attempt this at home, but chances are you are not going to get the quality you are looking for. One route to getting the desired results, and make the professional process a smoother and less expensive one is to do an initial mix on your own equipment before submission to a professional. This way you get the mixing engineer to spend all of their time making your tracks sounds as great as possible and not have to worry about cutting out the obvious flaws.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider, and we have only just touched the surface of all the components that would help you make the right decision. The best advice would be to do your research, get some clear goals in mind, decide on your budget and skill level and take the plunge. There is a great deal if information available online, so do your research.
This is a guest post. Dan is a Professional Freelance writer based in Sydney, writing about all aspects of the natural world, specialising in conservation issues.
Thinking of cutting off your loved-ones or children from their video game systems? Well, don’t! Ever thought about what benefits they might be gaining from playing those games? The answers may surprise you. Are you afraid that your children may be playing too many video games in their spare time? This article is for you, then. Here we will discuss 3 benefits of gaming. These 3 benefits may seem strange, but they have been proven.
1.Video games help develop social and collaborative skills
Many video games, these days, are connected to the internet, allowing players to work together like never before. Quite a few of these games actually force players to cooperate together to unlock achievements, pass levels, or beat the game. This is especially true of many games that are directly connected to social networks, or require players to strategize together. Because of this, some researchers say that this is a great way for younger players to connect with peers in a low-stress way, and teach them to work better together. Even in a connected world, working together and collaboration is still a very important skill set in education, the professional world, and in building successful relationships.
2.Video games can be help develop critical thinking skills
When players are challenged to solve puzzles, gather clues, spot differences, or figure out how to get to a goal through strategy in a video game, they are developing critical thinking skills. Some games are specifically made with this in mind, such as educational or brain-training games. Others are not specifically designed that way, but research has still proven that even in those situations, games are still a way to help players develop critical thinking skills. Many modern games can be very challenging, and even older players must seriously think about their strategies before starting to play the game, or they must try several different strategies, selected in a very short amount of time. As opposed to rote memorization of facts and processes, this can help to develop all-important critical thinking, which is very important in the real world, as well as academia.
3.Video games can teach skills and facts
A few video games are specifically targeted to those trying to learn new skills, like flying simulators. Due to the ever-increasingly realistic environments present in modern day video games, some agencies, like governmental ones, are now using video games to teach recruits. Other video games, such as those produced with a specific educational goal in-mind, can help kids to learn math, science, and grammar. All these video games can have practical applications in practicing different scholastic pursuits, helping in tutoring, boosting student confidence, or giving an already gifted student the ability to excel further. Using these types of video games requires little to no teaching skills, because the game is made with for the target audience of students.
These three benefits of video games are only some example. If you know how to play it wisely, then video games can be more useful than harmful.
This is a guest post. Jamie Ironhorn, the chief videographer at a TN video production company, is a techie who dreams of one day being a part of the biggest Hollywood movie productions. In his spare time, he likes to share his opinions and write about video technology, his favorite subject.
Just like any other art form, making a good video becomes a lot easier if you can master the techniques involved and put into practice the various tips and tricks that you learn along the way. Here are 5 tips to help you shoot high-quality videos that guarantee admiration and applause.
Play with the light, but don’t mess with it
The hallmark of every great filmmaker has been the ability to manipulate light to set the tone for a scene. Variations in lighting can be used to signify a number of things, including helping the audience distinguish between different locations and emotions. However, one has to be careful not to go overboard when experimenting with the lighting. Too much or too little light and the scene will be end up being too dark or appear washed out. Most people are so obsessed with getting the lighting perfect when shooting a video, that they do not experiment with it at all and as a result, the video has a very generic appearance.
The Rule of Thirds is your best friend
Framing a shot is never as easy it seems. You may have the perfect shot in your head that you plan to recreate, but rarely does reality conform to your wishes. If a shot is not framed properly, not only is it visually unappealing, it acts as a massive distraction for viewers. (more…)
My little sketch made the front page of Buzzfeed. Do please check it out, and give it a heart or an LOL, so that it will stay there as long as possible! http://bit.ly/XbJjxR
This monologue was a request from Heidi Loveridge, a London-based actress coming to the U.S. for a round of auditions. She asked for something “really funny, really contemporary, and even a bit stupid, then turns into something that brings it down to earth with something really sad. Makes the watcher feel bad for laughing.”
Tall order for a page or two! But heck, that’s what I’m all about.
You can see me? Oh, praise the maker!
Oh, dear, but… I’m sorry. That means you’re lonely. Only lonely people can see me.
I’m getting ahead of myself…
Welcome to Chesterton Manor. I’m the Grey Bride. Maybe you’ve heard of me? No? Hgghffff. In my day, a haunted manor was something special. Mortals aren’t impressed by anything any more. I blame mobile phones.
Yes, I know your technology. The Innkeeper often falls asleep with the television on. I may have been born in 1862 but I’m completely caught up with the Kardashians.
(You have no idea how much I wish he innkeeper would pick a different channel.)
And that’s called a laptop, right? You can use it for… What is it called? Bogging? You could make a bog post, and people would see it on their laptops?
I must share the story of my death with seven thousand, seven hundred, seventy-seven mortals before I may leave this realm. That is the curse when one is partly responsible for one’s own death. The rules are ancient, and care not a whit how long it takes me. Nor do they distinguish over circumstances. I… found my husband in this room, with… with a prostitute. My world went red. I flew at him, nails… teeth. That’s when the man I loved, calm as you please, put his hands around my throat and… I thought he would stop. That was my last thought, when will he stop?
They let this room out so seldom. You’re only the sixth person to hear my story. But if you did a bog post for me, we could tell so many people, so much faster.
I don’t have money… I thought… I can’t touch– But, I could… undress? I saw what you were doing with the laptop earlier. Please don’t be mad! … I would be better than that, right? You could… Tell me what to do?
Please?
Want to use this piece for an audition? Need to know my name? Want me to create a custom monologue for you? See the monologues page.
On last night’s The Daily Show, guest Al Gore started by telling Jon Stewart how much he liked the opening skit. Stewart quickly corrected him, that it had been a sketch.
Yes. A million times yes.
So why the fuss? Why is the distinction so important that it’s worth correcting a former vice president? Because the difference in connotation is huge, to those who make sketch.
Simply, ‘sketch comedy’ is professional. It’s an art form. Gilda Radner and John Cleese are examples of sketch comedians. A skit, on the other hand, is amateur It’s something you do at summer camp, probably because you were forced to. Ask yourself. How likely are you to use the word ‘little’ before the word ‘skit?’
Writing or acting sketch comedy (well) is exceptionally difficult, and those who dedicate themselves to it will find the word ‘skit’ demeaning. You might as well tell Rembrant that you like his latest doodle.
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle. (And the other half is killing people.)
The cool thing about running a group of aspiring and professional videomakers is that if you write lyrics to a song about a fairy sick of being called ‘fairy…’ sometimes it gets made.
Nice person: “Hi all, I’m having a party. Please come.”
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