CREATING A NARRATED BOOK TRAILER

CREATING A NARRATED BOOK TRAILER I wanted a book trailer to promote my third picture book, Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie, illustrated There were two books I consulted before undertaking the creation of the trailer: Katie Daviss ebook, â€Å"How to Promote Your Children’s Book† and Darcy Pattison’s ebook, â€Å"The Book Trailer Manual†. My goal wasn’t to replicate the text of the story in the trailer, but to give viewers a feel for the characters and the plot in a very short space of time- an oral summary. The publisher’s blurb for the book was a helpful starting point but it was directed to adults. My script needed to be more child friendly and shorter. Both Davis and Pattison recommend keeping trailers to a minute or less; Pattison says images should not be on screen for more than five seconds. The final (I thought) version of the script read like a mini-movie- for each â€Å"scene† was a visual image (one of Anne Jewett’s fabulous illustrations), followed For those who are technologically challenged, like me, the website lynda.com is a good source for tutorials on using iMovie and Garage Band- a month of lessons was well worth the twenty-five dollar fee. Recording voiceovers in GarageBand is relatively simple- follow a few steps and controls will appear with record, play and rewind functions that operate like any standard recording device. Though the editing options on GarageBand are much more detailed, even a non-techie like me could easily shorten or remove sections of audio clips. The greater challenge was getting my voice right. Writing each line of script on a notecard and taping the notecard to the top of my screen was helpful, as were underlining the words I wanted to emphasize and indicating whether my voice should rise or lower at the end of a line (professional voice artists definitely deserve respect). Despite all this work, when the audio was incorporated into iMovie, there was a major problem- my audio still took up too much space. I eliminated some sound effects and some spoken lines. To more easily match the length of the narration with the corresponding image, I recorded the voiceovers directly in iMovie. This again was simple to do- select the microphone image and click on the record button. There is a three second delay until the recording begins. Repeating the first word of my line several times during this delay helped eliminate awkward pauses and throat clearing noises when I began speaking. The process of creating a narrated book trailer for the first time took many hours, but it was well worth the effort. I learned how to make podcasts, how to edit video clips, how to combine images and sound. Trust me, if I can do it, you can too! You can view the trailer on my website at www.laurieajacobs.com

Financial Information for Business Decisions Essay - 1

Financial Information for Business Decisions - Essay Example Marks and Spencer’s well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The company’s main business consists in selling fabric items and clothing for men, women and kids’. The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab market share of around 11.0%2 by value and 11.2%3 by volume. Marks and Spencer has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling edible products which has earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable food quality, Marks and Spencer is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to quality food products. Operating Performance of the Company Marks and Spencer has been actively involved in the marketing of fresh meals and canned food items. The company also earns a good portion of its revenue through selling some of the finest wines and other affordable grocery products as well. In the recent past the company has been able to renew its food range and now offers a diverse variety of products to its customers. This change in strategy has been of benefit to the company which has caused an increase of 1.8%4 in sales revenue from food business. During the financial year 2010, the company progressed by leaps and bounds. ... The table below compares the financial results of Marks and Spencer, for the last five financial years from 2010 till 2006. Particulars8 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Group Revenue 9,537 9,062 9,022 8,588 7,797 Operating Profit - Continuing Operations 852 871 1,211 1,046 850 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation - continuing operations 703 706 1,129 937 746 Profit for the year 523 507 821 660 523 As can be observed from the above analysis, the financial outlook of the company has improved in the last five years. The group revenue has shown an inclining trend which pertains to the opening of new stores and outlets of the company. The company has expanded its operation both in and out of England over the past couple of years. Marks and Spencer is actively involved in overseas sales, and fluctuation in exchange rate has had a significant impact on the revenue of the company. The company was able to shrug off the recent global meltdown .The gross profit to sales ratio for the year e nded December 31, 2010 was 8.93%9 which has decreased by 0.67% during the current year. Despite the decrease in gross profit to sales ratio, the net profit of the company has increased by ?16.210 million. The primary reason behind the increase in the net profit is the fact that during the current financial year the company did not incur any cost during the current year on corporate restructuring. The increase in net profit is due to the fact that during the current year the company did not incur any exceptional cost which it had incurred during the year prior to that on strategic restructuring. If we analyze the financial year 2009, there has been a major decrease in the profit after tax. This

Economy and Nightlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economy and Nightlife - Essay Example Today, we can witness a number of changes and growing trends that characterize the economies of varied countries. Globalization and the growth of industries have led to a new culture of sorts---the infusion of night-life and the MNC culture in various countries, especially the developing nations that are growing accustomed to these changes. This cultural change has brought about an impact on the economy and the market conditions, as well. This paper strives to highlight this new phenomenon and links nightlife to the growth of the economy. The blossoming of 'night-life' and such other related phenomenon took place in the 1980s, when companies began looking for across-the-border initiatives and began perceiving the whole world as a global village. Let us analyse the causes for the growth of night-life, in order to comprehend its importance and how it has been an instrument of change in affecting the economy. Firstly, the changing structures of the cities contributed immensely to the linear setting up of producers and consumers. For instance, the central market areas of cities were cleared and shifted to other regions, which led to a change in not only the physical structure, but also in the culture of the cities. " Later on, this led to the capital construction and restructuring of cities, that paved way for greater potential. Hanging on in many cities in the mid-1970s the central business districts (CBDs) represented a fixed capital that companies were extremely reluctant to write off. This was not just in terms of buildings but also of land." (Harvey, 1985a; 1989). Secondly, growing competition among various cities to create a mark and an image for themselves, not only on the national level, but also in t he newly found global market led to a number of changes. In addition it created tensions within the local polity as planners trained to deal with the city as a system of objective factors (Hall, 1988) were faced with notions of urban cultures and spaces that few were equipped to deal with. Thirdly, the boom in consumption and the growth of the importance of consumerism led to this new culture. The cities oriented themselves in terms fo consumption and not production, which led to a new lease of cultural milieu. In the 1980s the (unevenly) revalorized city centre emerged as a new landscape of buildings, enterprises and signs concerned with the organisation and exploitation of consumption. This economy of consumption (distribution and marketing), unlike the economy of the production and exchange of goods (manufacturing and trade) had a much looser relationship to the local area. [Cities and the Night-time Economy, ANDY LOVATT & JUSTIN O'CONNOR]. Finally, the newly emergent culture as a result

Dealing with Evil Essay Example for Free

Dealing with Evil Essay After the World War II the planet has been divided by the Iron Curtain into two antagonistic camps: the communist countries, headed by the USSR and the capitalistic countries, headed by the USA. The struggle between two systems took forms of economic competition, ideological dispute, armament race and even local armed conflicts. Both leaders aimed to spread their influence at every possible region and attract carry over every possible country. At that they often paid little attention to home policy of a particular state concentrating exclusively on their ability to control it. Declaring their desire for democracy both the USA and the USSR often supported authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. This paper shall review some examples when the US cooperated with undemocratic rulers and demonstrate the necessity of such cooperation in order to stop the communist expansion. In one of the global key-points – the Middle East the USA did a lot to support an unpopular regime of the Shah of Iran. Between 1945 and 1979 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, conducted a policy of westernization and close ties with the United States. His rule has been marked by growing poorness of the population and total corruption of the state officials. Failure of economic reforms has only compounded the crisis. Under such conditions the communist party gained increasing popularity among the people of Iran. However, despite of Shah’s authoritarism, the USA instructed him when he removed a democratically elected government in 1953, as well as later in his actions. Only in 1977 the President has sent â€Å"a polite reminder† to the Shah about the necessity to take care of human rights . In response the Shah has freed some political prisoners and allowed the Red Cross to operate in Iran. Those measures appeared to be late and the Shah has been overthrown in 1979. Between 1940 and 1959 the USA favored a regime of l Ruben Fulgencio Batista at Cuba, preferring to have a dictator rather than a communist country just a few miles away. Batista has been provided with funds for electoral campaign. The CIA assisted Batista in detecting and destroying his opponents. However, Batista’s regime appeared to be so unpopular among the people of Cuba, that it has been destroyed by a small group of guerillas lead by Fidel Castro in 1959 . Another example of support rendered by the USA to totalitarian leader is cooperation with the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo ). Mobutu’s attitude to Soviet Union was rather frosty because of the Soviet support of local rebels. So he has chosen to strengthen the relationships with America and Belgium – a former mother-country of Zaire. The US was third largest donor to Zaire economy. Even despite of Mobutu’s warlike rhetoric and poor human rights record, Zaire received almost 50% of US assistance to sub-Sahara countries in the times of President Carter. America also directly cooperated with Mobutu during inner conflicts by providing supplies and transporting Belgian paratroopers . Nevertheless after collapse of the USSR the USA has found it unnecessary to further work with Mobutu and he was even refused of American visa. In contrast he was now suppressed to democratize his regime. And without outside assistance he has been overthrown in 1994. In total, the attitude of the USA to friendly dictators can be characterized by a rude but frank phrase of Franklin D. Roosevelt: â€Å"He may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch†. In the titanic struggle with communism political loyalty was a priority in comparison to observation of human rights. REFERNCES 1. Gellman, Irwin F.(1973) Roosevelt and Batista: Good neighbor diplomacy in Cuba, 1933-1945. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM 2. Ayittey, George B. N. (1999) Africa in Chaos: A Comparative History. Palgrave Macmillan 3. Afoaku, Osita. U. S. foreign policy and authoritarian regimes: Change and continuity in international clientelism, Journal of Third World Studies, Fall 2000, pp. -345-241

Analysis of Presentation on Nature as Female :: Gender Sex Female Male Essays Papers

Analysis of Presentation on Nature as Female I found the presentation on Nature as Female to be very interesting, because the topic asks as many questions as it answers. The question of why nature is gendered, I believe, is inextricably rooted in language. Language determines everything our experiences, our perceptions, our beliefs, and our desires. In a class I took last term we spoke about Lacan and his theory about language determining our desires, and it made sense to me, because you cannot desire what you cannot name. In the same way, language determines our beliefs about the world. In an anthropology course I took, there was a study about this Navajo tribe that demonstrated a profound understanding of quantum physics, without ever having been taught it. The linguists believed that this was because of their language. Their language determined their perception of the world, and thus allowed them to understand it in a vastly different way then people who speak English or French, for example. The example that was given to try to explain the difference was that instead of calling grass "grass", the Navajos would call it "growing green that reaches up to the sky". In their process of naming it as such, their concept of grass is different than our concept of grass. Do you understand the difference that language can make, just in how things are named and described? Another example that was given was how Chinese children displayed far greater mathematical understanding compared to English speaking children, and the disparity was traced back to language. The argument here is that language determines our conceptualization of numbers. In English, we say ten, twenty, thirty†¦etc. The word "twenty" gives no indication that it means "two tens". In Chinese, however, the words do give this indication (one-ten, two-ten, three-ten†¦etc). Language is so innate in us that we forget its power. But realizing how language exerts itself over everything, it is easy to understand how our conceptualization of nature as female has come to be. Our concept is a result of our language, which determines our understanding of the world. In the English language there are gendered words, which necessarily influence our belief about what they signify. Thus we say "mother nature" and without a second thought we understand nature to be female. In just that one word "mother", nature becomes conceptualized for us as female. Thus, our understanding about nature is based on this belief.

Naturalization of Undocumented Immigrant

Prof. Alexandru November 18, 2013 Communications Immigration Laws Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to Central Idea: The immigration system needs to be reformed. Introduction l. â€Å"Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. † These words are engraved on the Statue of Liberty that was assembled in 1886. The statue was meant to be a beacon of hope for all immigrants that enter the U. S. Hope for opportunities, a better life, a better home. But can we really say that's what they are given?II. A big issue that has been focused on lately by the government is Immigration law reform. For this speech I have done research about immigration laws and how they affect undocumented immigrants. Ill. A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D. C. has found that there has been an increase of unauthorized immigrants in the United States since the end of recession in 2009, which means there a lot more people that live in the United States that will be affected.This can also be said that everyone in California can be affected by these laws because we are a border state, which usually get a larger influx of immigrants. ‘V. Today I would like to tell you about the serious issues with present day mmigration laws and persuade you to help reform them. First I will explain what immigration laws are and their purposes. Then I will tell you about some of those laws, and how they affect undocumented immigrants and society. And I will end with why and how you can help to make a difference. Body (So what are immigration laws? ) l.Immigration laws were created to regulate who and what may come into the United States. According the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers, this is to protect us in four different major ways: public safety, public health, Jobs, and national ecurity. A. Ever since 1960, creating laws based on public safety, is to ensure that immigrants that may be potential prostitute s, polygamists, sexual deviates, or criminals would not be allowed to cross our borders. B. For Public Health, there are laws that prevent contagious diseases epidemics or people with potentially dangerous mental diseases.C. To ensure our Jobs are secure, laws are created to keep immigration from depressing wages too much. D. And National Security – Foreigners who would harm the country cannot come here, but the definition of who terrorists, for instance. Now let's talking about some actual immigration laws) V. Immigration laws vary on circumstances and we have to remember that every law always have exceptions. Every law also has flaws. Now I'm going to tell you about two laws that I found alarming. A. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that close to 400,000 US citizens marry a non-U.S. citizen. When a United States' citizen gets married to a person from a different country, there is a long process that the couple has to go through to prove their marriage and plenty of petitions need to be filled out to gain citizenship. A. l . The process and analysis of the couples were not at all alarming me until I ran across an article that went into detail about transgender spouses, who not only had to deal with the naturalization process but also the process specifying their gender.

Samuel Slater and the Textile Revolution

Samuel Slater is an American inventor who was born on June 9, 1768.  He built several successful cotton mills in New England and established the town of Slatersville, Rhode Island.  His accomplishments have led many to consider him to be the Father of American Industry and the Founder of the American Industrial Revolution.   Coming to America During the United States early years,  Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and Useful Arts offered cash prizes for any inventions that improved the textile industry in America. At the time, Slater was a young man living In Milford, England who heard that inventive genius was rewarded in America and decided to emigrate. At the age of 14, he had been an apprentice to Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright  and  was employed in the counting-house and the textile mill, where he learned a lot about the textile business. Slater defied the British law against the emigration of textile workers in order to seek his fortune in America. He arrived in New York in 1789  and wrote to Moses Brown of Pawtucket to offer his services as a textile expert. Brown invited Slater to Pawtucket to see whether he could run the spindles that Brown had bought from the men of Providence. If thou canst do what thou sayest, wrote Brown, I invite thee to come to Rhode Island. Arriving in Pawtucket in 1790, Slater declared the machines worthless and convinced Almy and Brown that he knew the textile business enough to him a partner. Without drawings or models of any English textile machinery, he proceeded to build machines himself. On December 20, 1790, Slater had built carding, drawing, roving machines and two seventy-two spindled spinning frames. A water-wheel taken from an old mill furnished the power. Slaters new machinery worked and worked well. Spinning Mills and the Textile Revolution This was the birth of the spinning industry in the United States. The new textile mill dubbed the Old Factory was built at Pawtucket in 1793. Five years later, Slater and others built a second mill. And in 1806, after Slater was joined by his brother, he built another. Workmen came to work for Slater solely to learn about his machines and then left him to set up textile mills for themselves. Mills were built not only in New England but in other States. By 1809, there were 62 spinning mills in operation in the country, with thirty-one thousand spindles and twenty-five more mills being built or in the planning stages. Soon enough, the industry was firmly established in the United States. The yarn was sold to housewives for domestic use or  to professional weavers who made cloth for sale. This industry continued for years. Not only in New England, but also in those other parts of the country where spinning machinery had been introduced. In 1791, Slater married  Hannah Wilkinson, who would go on to invent two-ply thread and become the first American woman to receive a patent.​ ​Slater and Hannah had 10 children together, although four died during infancy. Hannah Slater died in 1812 from complications of childbirth, leaving her husband with six young children to raise. Slater would marry for a second time in 1817 to a widow named Esther Parkinson.