Monday 28 March 2016

THE WORLD’S BEST ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES


Let’s face the facts. Not everyone can afford tuition at the best learning institutions in their country or just at the average learning institutions as a matter of fact. Firstly the fees are recurring (per semester, per term etc.) and secondly increments are sporadic. You may be paying a thousand today but trust me you will end up paying 3, 000 or 4, 000 tomorrow for the same course duration, anyway you get the point. So what now? Do you forget about your dreams? Let them go and accept that life is what is? I say NO! When I was in college doing my Diploma in Mechanical Engineering I wondered if my dreams of becoming a Filmmaker will ever be realized. Of course I googled about online schools and alike but still how would pull that one off when I am full time dependent surviving off my mother’s wallet? God Bless her soul. And to my mother, learning something that no one is making a monthly salary from is pointless. Now I may be reporting live from the “utopia of dreamers” as my tone implies but I kid you not the learning resources listed below will help you find a middle ground between dreams and reality because after you acquire the essential knowledge from these resources you will be well on your way to becoming whatever it is you aspire to be.
DISCLAIMER: These resources have helped me and other creatives and entrepreneurs succeed or at least set someone on the right path to success depending on how focused and determined they are. The may not help you but then I’d wonder what is you’re trying to be. If you probably want to be an Astronaut, then dude please go to college PERIOD.
 But if your heart is set on becoming either of the following: Filmmaker, Editor, Cinematographer, Special Effects Designer, Animator, Graphic Designer, Programmer, Photographer, Entrepreneur or anything in those lines then HALLELUJAH! This post will mean something to you.
I’d also like to add that if you do not have the disciplines that the academicians have then your learning process might be a little jarring because you have to be consistent and willing to learn. This means sitting in one place staring at a computer and taking down notes for a long period of time. But if you are driven by your enthusiasm and passion like I am, then let’s get to it.




      1GOOGLE
A little obvious I know but here’s why; google is the world’s most popular and most used search engine. It has access to almost every single piece of information about everything in the world I think. The best way to utilize google is by searching for free downloadable pdf files. Let’s say you want to know how to be an Entrepreneur you’d then google something like: Entrepreneurship fundamentals pdf. Unlike just reading about it online you can download a pdf document to read at your own time. May seem obvious but not everything is obvious to everyone.

     2. YOUTUBE
Again this may be obvious but I felt the need to mention it. On youtube you can search for anything you wish to learn and easily download the video. Learning through video tutorials is almost just as interactive as being in a lecture hall. And in my opinion, better because when you miss an important detail or piece of information you could simply rewind and listen. Unlike real life interactions where you may feel a little shy to raise your hand and ask your lecturer about a point you didn’t clearly understand. Youtube is where my journey as Film Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Video Editor, Graphic Designer and Entrepreneur begun. Safe to say that youtube is more than just a video streaming site for people with aspirations like mine but don’t have the bucks to enroll into a college that offers courses related to my field of study.

      3. LYNDA.COM
Yes, yes I know it seems like I may be endorsed by them due to the biased pick but honestly I’m not. After all it’s not like I am a famous filmmaker. Reason I have it on my list is simple, it the most organized online learning resource I have ever come across. Their tutorials are sound, effective and above all professional. If you are a member you can even download their courses and in addition they put out free downloadable videos from time to time. Their video tutorials are compressed but still high definition. The order in which each course is prepared is simply amazing and the tutors are all professionals I believe. My personal favorite tutorials by Lynda include: Entrepreneurship Fundamentals with Whitney Johnson, Fundamentals of Video cameras and shooting with Anthony Q. Artis, Small Business Marketing with Brad Batesole, Up and Running with DSLR Filmmaking with Chad Perkins & Brian Liepe and many more that I can’t mention in one post. Go to their website and search for whatever is you want to learn. If your interest is in the creative arts, business or technology then you need to look no further than Lynda. And if you are a staunch adobe software enthusiast and evangelist like me then you will fall in love with this learning resource.

4     4. UDEMY
Website coders and programmers in general will obviously have one or more tutorials from this site. It has in-depth information about everything in the world of coding basically it’s the new programmer’s information paradise. It also has great courses in Animation, App Development, Photography, Project Management, Business Studies etc.

     5. PODCASTS
May not be an official course, but podcasts are incredible and easily digestible. For aspiring entrepreneurs this is a great resource. And now with the growing popularity you can find podcasts that are dedicated to almost about anything you can think of. Podcasts usually have updated information and I’d advise you to search for podcasts related to whatever it is you want to learn.

My learning experience from these resources has being absolutely worth every penny and every second that I invested. I’ve spent less than 300 dollars acquiring knowledge that would cost you a hundred times more if you enrolled into a college. Not saying that college is obsolete, pssh c’mon! I’m just trying to let people who can’t afford going to college know that there is a way to acquire the same knowledge for cheap. And of course no one will give a degree or diploma afterwards but you will have most the knowledge those people have and your passion and drive will determine whether or not you become successful. I am a hundred and ten percent sure I will become successful in my field of study after utilizing these learning resources.

Now these are the most effective learning resources for me and many individuals in a similar class of studiess. Check them out for yourself and I dare you to come up with a better list. Please leave a comment agreeing or disagreeing to my assertion.

Sunday 13 March 2016

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF STORY

1: THE MAIN CHARACTER
IF YOU think you can create a story built
around something other than a human
being, screenwriting may not be for you.
All good stories are built around a human
being and his or her conflicts. This includes
Finding Nemo, Bambi and Wall-E—stories
that dress up their human conflict in some
sort of “other” being, but are essentially
about a person.
As you imagine this main character, you
will need to decide on his or her:

2: CHARACTER DEFICIT
THIS IS often called the “fatal flaw,” a vitally
important human trait that your character
is lacking. This is not the thing that
your character wants (we’ll get to that)—it’s
something you want to give your character.
This “deficit” might be an addiction. It
might be a false goal: wealth and power are
always good (see: The Wolf of Wall Street).
How about popularity (Shallow Hal)? Or
being in love with a person who won’t love
you back (Silver Linings Playbook)? In
Casablanca Rick thinks he can hide from
his own ideals—but he can’t bury his own
heart, no matter how far he runs. As the
writer, you will bring your main character
face-to-face with this deep-seated problem,
which will eventually lead to an all-important
change at the end of your story.

3: PATH TO SATISFACTION
(I.E. THE CHARACTER’S PLAN)
NOW WE get to the character’s desire. You
get to put your character on a journey—one
that is certain to cause them psychic pain.
In Midnight Cowboy, Joe Buck decides he’s
going to become the most successful male
escort in New York. Lousy idea? You bet!
Putting Joe on this journey teaches him
more about himself than anything he’s ever
experienced before. In Maria Full of Grace,
our 17-year-old, pregnant heroine must
make some money fast, so she decides to become
a drug mule. Right—a really bad idea!
In both cases, these protagonists are
thrust onto a path where they cannot control
the outcome—though they think they
can. That’s where you come in: to teach
them a lesson that will last. You will be
cruel. You will be tough. But you will also
be compassionate. This tortuous journey
will result in a change or recognition in the
end. Looking at it that way, Robert Towne
was doing Jake Gittes a favor.
This path to satisfaction will also serve
as your plot, a map of the new world
through which the main character travels.
In Chinatown, it’s the world of the wealthy
and privileged of Los Angeles who think
they can do whatever they want. In Midnight
Cowboy it’s the world of the sleazy
characters of Time Square. In Maria Full
of Grace it’s the world of drug mules.

4: THE STORY PLAN
THIS IS the thing that your character
must do or the story is not over: a task he
or she must complete to get out of the ordeal.
In Silver Linings Playbook Pat must
enter the dance contest with Tiffany, even
though he believes that Tiffany is not the
woman he loves. But what does he find
out because he agrees to dance? That
Tiffany is the girl for him, not his ex-wife.
Simple stuff. But look at how that conflict
works constantly through the film. Pat
keeps going back to his mistaken faith in
his ex-wife. Yet he doesn’t actually see his
error until he’s undergone the ordeal of
the dance contest, and seen how he treats
the people around him.
Your character is in charge of his or her
plan, the path to satisfaction. But you are in
charge of the story plan. The two are in direct
opposition and this is what keeps your
character in conflict throughout the story.

5: THE HUMAN VALUE
WE’RE ALREADY deeply familiar with
human values in the movies we see:
“Love finds a way.” “Be yourself.” “Be connected
to people.” “Money isn’t everything.”
“Family can save you.” In the old
days they called these “the message”—the
kind of fundamental truths we struggle
with in our lives. But human value
shouldn’t be a sermon or an essay. Your
script is a piece of drama that brings to
life, through human action, a character’s
struggle with this value.

THE ACTION STRUCTURE SHEET
OK, NOW we’re ready to write something.
This sheet will combine all of the above
items into one coherent story. Think of it
as an expanded “pitch”–it’s the material
that you keep in your head when you do
pitch this story to buyers, producers and
friends. Some of the moving parts you
may be familiar with are in here: the “inciting
incident,” “call to action,” “climax”
and “resolution.” Distill your idea into six
to 10 very short paragraphs, no longer
than one page (if you can help it!).
This is not a beat sheet—that’s when
you list specific scenes in your story.
Instead, the action structure is a way to
define major arcs and human value. You
needn’t fill in all the details. The page
counts in this template represent the
probable space each section will take up
in your 90- to 120-page script.

ACTION STRUCTURE TEMPLATE
ACT I: PROTAGONIST
AND WORLD (15-25 PAGES)
CHARACTER & SETTING
• Introduce your main character in his
or her “regular” world.
• What does this character do?
• What will bring “satisfaction”—at
least, according to the character?
• What is the character’s deficit?

THE INCITING INCIDENT
& CALL TO ACTION
THE INCITING INCIDENT: The
character must do something seemingly
everyday—go to a job interview, answer
the phone, pick up a package for somebody
else. This little action is part of the
normal reality in his or her world. The
character has chosen to do this action because
the character believes it will lead to
some personal “satisfaction.” This must
necessarily transition into–
The Call to Action: a decision is thrust
upon the protagonist. This is not based
on desire. It’s not what the character
planned, but it must be resolved. It’s the
writer’s way of pushing the character out
on the journey.

ACT II: JOURNEY AND ORDEAL
(65-80 PAGES)
COMPLICATIONS
The combined reality of the journey,
other characters and the protagonist’s
bad decisions leads to more complications,
designed to force the character to
struggle (even if the character still thinks
he or she is pursuing “satisfaction”).
FURTHER COMPLICATION
This makes it nearly impossible for the
character to move ahead unless something
is done. All options have been exhausted.

ACT III: CLIMAX AND RESOLUTION
(10-15 PAGES)
What’s the worst that can happen?
That’s exactly what happens. A major
choice is made and the protagonist ceases
to struggle with the primary problem,
but must now resolve the “human value”
part of the equation. The path to satisfaction
is completed, but then there’s–
THE RESOLUTION: The character
decides to change or gains recognition
about a deficit. This is the story value.
The character learns why the initial plan
for “satisfaction” was a mirage, but also
gains something far more important—a
new insight into his or her soul.

By: Joe Gilford