Tag: TV CAREER TIPS

Characters are More Interesting When They’re as Flawed as We are

Even in the world of games, where this not-so-startling (to us cuz…flawed, you know?) factoid just recently came to light:

GosispGame characters are better when they gossip and lie
by Olivia Solon

Getting characters to lie, gossip, and manipulate could help to create more realistic video games, according to Jenny Brusk, a lecturer in computer science at the University of Skövde.

Brusk has been working on models to introduce socially competent non-player game characters who can understand natural language, rather than characters using goal-driven dialogue where the player is limited to a number of predefined response alternatives. read article

Peggy Bechko: Writers Love Their Readers

writerlylove

by Peggy Bechko

And not surprisingly they want them to keep reading.

So what is it that might make a prized reader just stop reading, set the book aside, give up? Fantastic to hear your book kept a reader up all night, okay to know they stick in a bookmark and take a break, just awful and nightmarish to think that reader won’t pick the book up again.

So why don’t they pick it up again? read article

How to to Better Manage Your Freelance Income

Our freelance writing incomes may not be much, but they’re ours. If we can hang onto enough of them to feed us, clothe us, house us, and/or – and this is the big one – give us the time and freedom to go out on more freelance writing gigs. Here’s some stuff we all need to know. (Don’t you love the word “stuff?”):

19gqwfr2t8l8wjpgby Walter Glenn

Freelancing is rewarding, but it is not for the faint of heart. Yes, you get to do work you love and you get to do it on (mostly) your own terms. You also have play roles you may not enjoy so much, like marketer, sales person, and bookkeeper, some of which we’ve talked about before. And one of the biggest challenges in freelancing is managing an irregular income.P

Before I started working for Lifehacker, I spent over twenty years as a freelance computer consultant and writer. I loved working for myself, almost as much as I love with the people here, but managing the boom and bust cycle of work was something that never came easy. I did learn some good lessons along the way, though. P read article

“Dilbert’s” Creator on Making Your Presentation Memorable

In other words, dude’s talking about how to make your concept memorable by putting it out there in a way nobody will forget.

We think:

scott-adams-03The Science of Making Your Story Memorable
by Scott Adams

When I created a Slideshare preview of my book How to Fail… I worked with Dr. Carmen Simon at Rexi Media to get the slides just right, from a design and message standpoint, but also from a cognitive science perspective. I thought my blog readers would enjoy a peek under the hood to see what techniques we used. This is useful stuff. read article

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

red_carpet_entrance_camera_flashes

Chapter 48 – Shooting
by Leesa Dean

After last week’s debacle, we picked ourselves up and got an actor/comedian I’ve worked with a lot to fill in. The new shoot’s on Sunday, we’re rehearsing this evening and I’m pretty psyched. He always delivers plus is ultra reliable and a nice guy. That always wins the the race. So, although I’ll be missing part of the red carpet of the Oscars, it’s cool to be actually working towards making my dreams come true then vs. sitting around and watching other people live their’s out (though it is fun to either drool over or mock the outfits; yes, I’m DVR’ing it).

Meanwhile, this week I’ve been in mini-film school. Been doing the camera workshop and it’s been great! Classes on camera technique, lighting, audio, composition, production. And tomorrow we do an all day shoot. We paired up (there are 8 people in the class) and last night, each team put together a script. I was partnered with Tara, who seems really cool and we seem to have the same sensibility (she works for Complex Mag). She & I put together an Oscar’s red carpet parody. We’re shooting in Union Square Park and already, mostly, have picked the locations. We have our shot list and I’m bringing some props.

Early tomorrow morning, we arrive at DCTV (where the classes are held), pick up our kits (we’re each getting a camera, tripod and wireless laveliers), jump on the subway and have about 4 hours to shoot. As part of our parody, we’re getting people on the street interviews so I hope we can some to be on camera. Luckily, the temperature’s supposed to be warmer (40 degrees) than it has been the past few days (it’s in the teens today!) and there’s no snow expected. read article