Second Life and Educational Trends in Filmmaking

Have you ever heard of 'Real Life Education in Second Life.' This group is made up of people who are interested in the educational possibilities of Second Life where they say there are more than 400 universities and 4,500 educators participating in the Second Life Educators List (SLED). They are learning how to leverage the benefits of learning in a virtual world in order to assist the students of today.

In the photo: Second Life students role-play a courtroom scene hosted by Peggy Sheehy in Teen Second Life. How cool is that?

One article written by a professor of computer science at Colorado Technical University named Cynthia M. Calonge says, "the benefits outweigh the risks associated with venturing into a virtual world educational platform. For me, the virtual world is my preferred learning and teaching environment."

This method combined with a mentorship program may be the best way to learn in the future. As students learn and participate in social networks, such as our own Entertainment Connection Media Warrior network, they will benefit as they learn the importance of promoting themselves online, while they take our Film-Connection course where they can learn how to be a director.

Today, blogs are becomming a way of life. Everyone's on MySpace, FaceBook, and now Twitter, so imagine the magnitude of virtual classrooms? It would be one way to learn the bookwork in a fun and inspiring way, then go work with your mentor in the real world, at a real job, in training.

The author of The Extreme Future, James Canton, said that one of the top ten industries of the innovation economy is, "8. Education and Learning. The creation of immediate, portable, transferable, on-demand knowledge sources on a scale equivalent to the Library of Congress."

Well, virtual life is not far away as everything is transferred over to the Internet via Web 2.0. watch for 3-D on the Web in Web 3.0.

Trends in Film Education: Malaysian Film Industry Poised to Grow

Finas Director-General Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim said, "At a time when Malaysian cinema stands poised to influence the global film arena, filmmakers need to embrace the importance of marketing their movies," said recently at a meeting held at the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) in Ulu Kelang, Selangor.

It was a meeting that focused on the benefits of sales, marketing strategies, local film/TV show acquisitions for the international film markets. It appears as if they have realized that if Malaysian filmmakers have the right formula to market their films abroad, there’s a lot of money to be made. Many local filmmakers want to make money via films for the overseas market But up until now there has been a gap between how films are marketed locally and how they are marketed abroad.

Now there is a growing interest in film distribution abroad, and that means it is critical that they get exposure to marketing practices that will help these films cross over. It would seem that many could learn by taking some of the courses offered by schools like the Entertainment Career connection: http://www.film-connection.com/, for example, or Los Angeles music recording schools and even New York Radio schools, where mentors help students learn the real trade in a real classroom. Anyone interested in a career in film would benefit.

For those taking part in international film markets, it will make penetrating the international arena easier. Just as an example, with the cooperation of Finas, Malaysian producers have been part in three major international film markets including Hong Kong FilmArt in Wanchai, Hong Kong; and MIPTV and MIPCOM, in Cannes, France.

The statistics on transactions made by local producers at previous international film markets was RM1.57million, not as much as those in Hollywood or even Bollywood, but the important thing is that Malaysian film products are slowly getting the recognition. Many documentaries, animated series and TV shows are the hot-sellers among TV producers from Europe and the Middle East.

Foreign film producers typically like action-packed movies and thrillers.and due to the economy they have been cutting costs and not as active in acquiring programs from other countries. However, much is to be learned including trends, technology to the market ecology.

Finas will be taking part in the American Film Market (AFM) at Santa Monica in United States from on November 5 through 12.

Almumni Get a Mentor to Find a Job

A July 1 2008 article in the Wall Street Journal by Joann Lublin talks about how in today’s tough job market applicants can get ahead by going back to their alumni’s outplacement department to get a coach.

"Not-so-recent college graduates are demanding more career assistance from their former schools as they face tougher employment markets,” the article states, which gives merit to the premise behind why the Entertainment Career Connection schools like the Recording Connection, RadioConnection and the Film Connection with mentors work! And with today’s online social media marketing finally becoming rooted in society, the trend will soon become the norm.

Many schools and universities nationwide are in the process of ramping up their online offerings to alumni to include services such as resume and cover letter writing and editing, guidance for assembling potential employer lists, salary negotiation counseling, alumni yellow pages, re-entry seminars, self assessment workshops, support groups, online links to job resources, and even practice workshops for interviews. Blogs and social media networks are also becoming popular as a means of swapping job leads.

In fact, many universities and colleges are creating job-search programs. According to some statistics we researched online, nearly 20 percent of these institutions are now offering these services for alumni, up from just 5 percent five years ago, with business schools taking the lead.

The word “mentor” was seeded by one of the characters in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca named Odysseus went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his son Telemachus and his kingdom to Mentor.

Today, the term mentor is defined by Webster’s dictionary as "a trusted counselor or guide" and schools like the Entertainment Career Connection are also in the process of setting up new social media networks for their students and graduates as well. Once such program is known to our students only, is the http://www.mediawarrior.com/ where students can hook up for resources, meet other mentors and students, and network.

Know Radio History: If you Want to Learn to Be A DJ

It seems like a long time ago when the radio was invented. Today radio is just part of our lives, but for any student what wants to learn how to be a DJ, or who wants to go to sportscaster school, knowing the very basic history of radio is part of the program.

Heinrich Hertz was the first man to detect radio waves in 1887 by causing a spark to leap across a gap that generated electromagnetic waves. He built the oscillator and resonator by 1893.

Oliver Lodge in Britain, Alexander Popov in Russia, and Edward Brauley in France - filled a glass tube with metal filings that would cohere under electromagnetic waves. Once the tube was tapped, the filings would collapse to break the circuit.

It was Guglielmo Marconi invented his spark transmitter (right) with an antenna
in his home in Bologna, Italy around 1894. He took what was known as his "Black Box" to Britain in Feb. 1896 and filed for British Patent number 12039 on June 2, 1896. Marconi formed the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company in Britain in 1897 at the age 23, and the world's first radio factory on Hall Street in Dec. 1898. The American Marconi Co. was formed in 1899. He controlled patents for the Lodge tuner of 1900 with dial, and Fleming valve of 1904 that acted as a diode tube to amplify electrical current in one direction. Marconi's company sold spark transmitters to the U.S. Navy.

An inventor named Reginald Fessenden of Canada developed the continuous-wave voice transmitter 1905, using a high-frequency alternator developed by Charles Steinmetz at GE 1903. He made a voice broadcast over the North Atlantic on Christmas Eve 1906.

Today, the radio business has become ultra modern in comparison, and schools like the Radio Connection are helping students get a mentor so they will not only learn the history and basics about radio and broadcasting, but they will also learn the skills for success.

In Memory of Jerry Wexler

A legendary record man, Jerry Wexler, died today at the age of 91. He earned the title -- a music business pioneer. Wexler was not only co-head of Atlantic Records from 1953 to '75, he and his partner Ahmet Ertegun grew the small independent R&B label into the major record company. His productions through the years produced numerous gold and platinum records. In fact, he won nearly every lifetime achievement award possible.

Born in 1917, in Manhattan New York, Wexler grew up to become a music producer and a prophet of roots and rhythm, and in fact, thanks to him, we use the term "rhythm and blues." In the '50s, Wexler's studio introduced us to Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, the Drifters, Chuck Willis, and LaVern Baker.

Wexler recorded the music that became the foundation of rock — songs about parties and romance) and songs that in some cases were banned on the radio like Clyde McPhatter's "Honey Love" and the Clovers' "Down in the Alley."

For Wexler, it was on-the-job training: "No one really knew how to make a record when I started. You simply went into the studio, turned on the mike and said play."

In the '60s Wexler and his partner Ertegun brought Atlantic into the forefront among the label companies. The label was the first to mike the rhythm section separately for a clear heavy groove sound. This was the era of releasing music by Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, and Willie Nelson and Led Zeppelin.

During the '70s, Wexler left Atlantic to produce soundtracks for films by Louis Malle and Richard Pryor. he also recorded albums with Dire Straits, Etta James and Bob Dylan

By 1987, Wexler was one of the first non-performers to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For anyone interested in learning to be a recording engineer, or a music producer, you may want to remember Wexler by reading his book Rhythm and the Blues about how American music.

Paradigm Shifts in Entertainment Media and Film, Radio or Recording Schools

There have been and will continue to be paradigm shifts in content creation and delivery affecting the media and entertainment industry, which always has and always will provide countless new job opportunities. Somneone who wants to learn how to be a radio DJ, for example, or a film producer, will continue to have opportunities thanks to the Internet and new technology today.

Here are some of the trends for entertainment careers including jobs in film, radio and recording:

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Networks - There are tons of new social media sites that have popped up in the entertainment industry. One exciting new one is our own. http://www.mediawarrior.com/ Join it yourself, and tell all your friends in the film, radio or recording industry about it.

Video-on-Demand - Video-on-demand (VOD) is huge, and it may just determine the next generation of content delivery. First there was film, then video, then TIVO, then pay-per-view, and now people can see and listen to anything they want anytime and anywhere. News has it that VOD will be a critical part of all digital subscriber product offerings if the future, representing a shift in content providers’ revenues.

Convergence Marketing -Convergence is the integration of several mediums of entertainment-and it usually involves the Internet. Basically we are talking about the Internet and TV, magazines pushing to the Internet, as well as films, books and Internet marketing. There are many media possibilities such as streaming, live chat, targeted advertising forums, blogs and Vlogs – all of which drive additional revenue. Some of the employment opportunities within convergence include marketing, content development, graphic design, Internet website development.

Special Effects in Film -Increasingly more sophisticated, there is a melding of creativity and engineering when it comes to special effects. Growth of companies Lucas Film’s Industrial Light, Pixar, Blue Skye, Ice Age, etc. and many others are winning awards for special effects. This means new jobs in this area for people who want to learn how to be a director, for example, or producers, actors, voiceover artists. you name it.

Video Games - Yet another big industry that ties in to entertainment, video gaming is getting bigger as technology improves. For jobs, check out Activision, Infogrames, and Take Two, just to name a few. A career in entertainment requires commitment and could mean a new location, in addition to education.

Globalization - Now, as we can see in the 2008 Olympics, there is tailored programming with native language music and personalities. During the next century we will see big changes in this arena, especially as major entertainment companies expand to other markets.

Those interested in learning how to be a film producer, or to find a Los Angeles film school,

Learn How to be a Radio Announcer

Television and radio announcers have to learn how to perform many duties both on the air and off. It is their job to announce important information to the public -- news, time, commercials, weather or even traffic. Typically they also do the research and writing for on air discussions.

Announcers also often perform interviews for events, and it isn't unusual for those interested in learning the career, to end up where they have to learn by doing. The Radio Connection where you can get a mentor in the radio profession will teach students the basic skills required in a real radio station. Your mentor will teach you while on the job, and chances are you can get on air experience.

Radio Connection Mentor Sam Greenfield knows why learning at a real radio station is infinitely better than in a classroom.

Announcers are usually popular with listeners and so they often make public appearances to promote special events, sponsors or station advertisers. Radio announcers are usually referred to as disc jockeys, or DJs who do on-air interviewing, talk to listeners and manage on-air contests, comment on news, traffic and the weather. Newscasters or anchors usually specialize in the news, weather, or sports, and are very heavily involved in the research and interviewing process with all of the parties relevant to an issue.

For those who work for a smaller station, they often have additional off-air responsibilities such as transmitter monitoring, commercial sales, advertising production, program logging, and control board operation. And that's not including fundraising and promotional efforts.

Technological improvements have allowed announcers to assume many of the tasks previously seen as too difficult since stations have become more operationally mobile. Some regional stations operate out of a single office, while others work overnight with no staff, using pre-recorded programs or those from automatic satellite feeds

Announcers usually must get involved in their communities. Sports announcers must appear at a sporting goods store to entertain customers, and news announcers often show up at local events.

At the Radio Connection, you will learn that this field isn't just limited to broadcasting fields, because many announcers work in motion picture production. Or you could get a job as a public address system announcer where you would broadcast information at special sporting or performing arts events. Although some announcers get to work in a good environment with soundproof studios, the downside is that they usually must work odd hours such as early-morning or late-night shows.

Qualifications are competitive and most jobs require formal training. You can always spend more money through either a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting or training in private technical college, but many of the Entertainment career Connection students believe the best way to learn is via the announcer mentor program at the Radio Connection.

Today, the hiring processes for radio announcers include an evaluation of one’s on-air presence. Starting jobs include researchers or production assistants that can advance if they demonstrate the right skill sets, which might take time. People rarely start out with an on-air position unless they go to a smaller station with an open time spot at an odd time. Beginners can be expected to be equipment operators or interview recorders. Announcers typically start out at smaller stations in local communities and move on to larger, citywide stations.

Network employment is extremely competitive. those hiring often seek college graduates with years of announcing experience, and they must have a proper voice, good timing, and many other abilities to be successful. They need to be computer-savvy and be able to work under on-air pressure—appealing to the audience with a fresh style, a good voice and a great personality.

Mentor programs in radio at the Radio Connection provide a solid curriculum, in a real radio station for a reasonable price of $5,500 compared to more than double that at a University.